From Here to There

Getting from Moncton, to a lake in the Northwest Territories that's inhabited solely by the odd wolverine, a few grizzlies, and about 800 miners is no simple feat. There aren't exactly any direct flights. So here's a typical voyage to work for Dave:

Monday
4:30 pm-- head to airport to catch 5:30 pm flight to Toronto.
7:00 pm (8:00 Atlantic)-- arrive in Toronto, scarf down soup and a beer at the Maple Leaf lounge, call Melissa.
8:00 pm (9:00 Atlantic)-- hop on another plane, watch in-flight movie and pretend to work on laptop.
11:10 pm (2:10 am Atlantic) -- arrive in Edmonton, pick up luggage (on a good day), take shuttle to a cheap hotel and get some sleep.

Tuesday
8:00 am (11:00am Atlantic)-- catch shuttle to airport.
10:00am (1:00 pm Atlantic)-- board company charter flight direct to Diavik mine-- yes the mine, built on a lake, has its own airport. They fly workers out on a Boeing 737, and I'm told they provide decent food.
1:00pm (4:00pm Atlantic)--after 24 hours of travelling, Dave's ready to begin 14 days of 12 hour shifts.

Fourteen Days Later-- It's no easier to Get Home:
Tuesday
1:00pm (4:00)-- is searched to make sure he's not smuggling any diamonds, and boards the company plane headed to Edmonton.
4:00pm (7:00pm Atlantic)-- arrives in Edmonton, grabs a bite and a few drinks with pals from work, takes a shuttle to the world's biggest mall, puts a few cards on the table at the casino, goes shopping with his winnings? then heads back to the airport.

Wednesday
12:00am (3:00am Atlantic)-- staggers onto Air Canada flight. Listens to I-Pod. Falls asleep.
6:00am (7:00am Atlantic)-- wipes drool off cheek, arrives in Toronto, sleepily wanders into Maple Leaf lounge for a bagel, and sometimes a shower.
9:00am (10:00am Atlantic)-- straps himself into a seat for the last leg of his journey.
11:50am-- plane touches down in Moncton.
12:00pm-- checks to see if luggage made it, calls Melissa to come pick him up at the airport. Melissa's too busy at work, so Dave takes a cab. After 15 days away, and 20 hours of travelling, he's finally home, where he's attacked by the cat, welcomed by the dog, and comforted by an empty bed.

Of course, this is his schedule when all goes well. But when it comes to flying, especially Air Canada, especially in the winter, things can go very wrong. Stay tuned to future blogs.