member notables
Member Notables Major Announcement on Additional Service at YKF On February 10, 2021, Flair Airlines announced a formal arrangement with the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) to provide non-stop domestic air service to Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Halifax multiple times weekly. The current anticipated start of service is May 1, 2021 pending the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Launched in 2017, Flair Airlines is Canada’s only independent ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) and provides customer service at a much lower price. As of December 2020, Flair has flown almost 18,000 flights with approximately 2.3 million passengers. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, they will expand service from 10 to 19 Canadian destinations. A February 10 news release from the Region of Waterloo International Airport notes that Flair’s new non-stop service will help drive our regional economy through tourism, job creation, and the purchase of local goods and services.
Execulink Makes First Donation of 2021 to Emergency Shelter Fundraising Campaign Woodstock-based Execulink Telecom has made their first 2021 community donation to the Coldest Night of the Year initiative. The Coldest Night of the Year Walk, founded 11 years ago in Kitchener-Waterloo, is now held in more than 150 cities across Canada with each municipality raising funds for a local shelter. The Woodstock Coldest Night of the Year event is donating all proceeds to The Inn of Oxford, the county’s only emergency shelter. Support of local community initiatives is a regular practice at Execulink Telecom. President and CEO Ian Stevens noted in a company media release that “our service communities are also our homes. This is as simple for us as supporting our family in a time of need and we are delighted to be able to do so.”
Senior Management Changes at Accelerator Centre Paul Salvini, who served as Chief Executive Officer of the Waterloo Accelerator Centre (AC) from 2014 to 2020, recently departed to assume the position of Global Chief Technology Officer for VFX and animation company DNEG. Julie Barker-Merz, Accelerator Centre board chair, noted in an organization news release that Paul’s leadership has positioned them to confidently continue on a trajectory of excellence while forging an even stronger future that continues to respond to the changing innovation ecosystem. Looking to the future, the AC is well-positioned for leading in the sector. John Stevens, Vice President Strategy and External Relations, is leading the organization during the search for Dr. Salvini’s replacement. John is a long-serving Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce volunteer on the Federal and Provincial Affairs Committee.
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