04 COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Making a connection
Strengthening community ties
Vecova
In addition to being the recipient of unclaimed lost and found items, the Vecova team also provides cart retrieval and customer service support, and the organization was selected as the recipient of ticket donations from our holiday party.
#NotInMyCity
The annual YYC Charity Golf Classic raised $235,260 in support of #NotInMyCity and its work to raise awareness and provide training for the prevention of human trafficking. The Authority has been a proud partner of #NotInMyCity since 2018, raising a total of $464,015 through the YYC Charity Golf Classic, and leading the way for airports across Canada to work together to help bring an end to human trafficking in our communities.
The Mustard Seed
Crew members volunteered more than 330 hours preparing and serving meals, and The Authority provided all food products, representing a donation of $12,000. The Authority has supported The Mustard Seed, an organization working to eliminate homelessness and reduce poverty, for almost three decades.
YYC teams worked alongside #NotInMyCity to raise funds and awareness of human trafficking.
Creating a festive feeling for the holidays
In 2024, we held our 10th annual US Thanksgiving lunch for our friends at US Customs and Border Protection, who joined us for some turkey and a celebration of our long-standing partnership.
The following month, the annual Festival of Trees brought seasonal cheer to the terminal. We partnered with organizations, including Calgary Stampede, the Mustard Seed, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation, PCL Construction and FedEx. Team YYC’s White Hat Volunteers and Customer Care Ambassadors also played their part to help bring festive cheer to the terminal throughout December.
Elevate Aviation
Elevate Aviation works to support women and underrepresented groups in pursuing careers in aviation. The Authority’s Chief Operating Officer, Chris Miles, serves on Elevate’s Board of Directors, and in 2024 we expanded our support by:
Revamping our Aviation Career Exploration Days to showcase a range of opportunities.
Sending two female leaders from The Authority on Elevate’s cross-country tour.
Celebrating Sarah Nelson, our Manager of Environment and Sustainability, who was honoured by Elevate at the 2024 Inspire Gala.
Hosting a watch party for Only Up, Elevate Aviation’s documentary highlighting women working in aviation.
Our first-ever Haul for Hope event was a real team effort and raised over $80,000.
Pulling together
In September, we teamed up with WestJet, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited and Million Air Calgary to hold our first-ever Hope Air Haul for Hope event. Teams of 10 to 12 competed to pull a 30,400-kg WestJet Q400 aircraft. The event raised more than $80,000 in support of Hope Air and its mission to provide free medical travel for Canadians in need.
An even weightier challenge came in the form of the Orbis Canada Plane Pull for Sight. A Crew team pulled a 60-tonne FedEx 757 and raised just under $5,000. The funds support the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, an ophthalmic teaching and training hospital onboard a MD-10 aircraft donated by FedEx.
Kristy North Peigan used the YYC letter display to create a piece that honours her Blackfoot heritage.
Advancing reconciliation
We continued to forge strong connections with our Indigenous neighbours and surrounding communities. In 2024, we honoured the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by:
Commissioning Indigenous artist Kristy North Peigan to create an artwork that honours her Blackfoot heritage and the teachings of Treaty 7 Nations.
Hearing and learning from Elder Vincent Yellow Old Woman, former Chief of the Siksika Nation.
Purchasing orange shirts for Crew in support of the Orange Shirt Society and coming together as a team to demonstrate our collective commitment to creating an inclusive and informed workplace that respects and amplifies Indigenous voices.
Other efforts continued throughout the year. In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action No. 92, we expanded our Indigenous Cultural Competency Training. The sessions provide Crew with a comprehensive understanding of Indigenous histories, perspectives and contributions.
We also introduced experiential learning opportunities, including immersive sessions with Brown Bear Woman Events to connect Crew to the traditions of the Tsuut’ina Nation.
A new mural by Keegan Starlight of the Tsuuti’na Nation was also unveiled on the exterior of Elbow River Exchange in Concourse B.
