James Armstrong Richardson

James Armstrong Richardson, B.A., LL.D. (Hon), was born in Kingston, Ontario, on August 25, 1885, where he attended Hillcrest Academy and Queen's University, graduating in 1906 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then entered the family business of James A. Richardson & Sons Limited, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He gave personal direction to the company's affairs during its greatest era of expansion in Canada's grain industry and its entry into the field of investment securities. He served as company President from 1918 until 1939.

Richardson's initial interest in aviation was inspired by a desire to develop the mineral wealth of northern Ontario. To accomplish this, he formed Western Canada Airways Limited in 1926, contending that with suitable aircraft, able pilots and good business management, an air transport company could bring in untapped mineral resources at least twenty years sooner than would ordinarily have been the case. H.A. 'Doc' Oaks became the first manager and pilot for the new company at its base in Hudson, Ontario.

The following year. Western Canada Airways expedited the opening of a port at Fort Churchill, Manitoba, when it carried out the Churchill airlift during March 1927. Using two open-cockpit aircraft, without radio communications or weather sciences, fourteen men and thirty tons of supplies and equipment were transported from Cache Lake, Manitoba, to Fort Churchill during a thirty-day period, under severe winter conditions. The successful completion of this country's first major airlift was to bring a rare signal to Western Canada Airways from the Department of National Defence at Ottawa, "...there has been no more brilliant operation in the history of commercial flying."

Western Canada Airways, under Richardson's Presidency, had in a few years, opened air routes from the mines of northern Ontario to the islands off the Pacific coast and to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. The records and accomplishments of the company in the transport of bulk freight, airmail service and night flying were so laudable as to attract the attention of other nations. In 1926 Richardson had been named Director of Fairchild Aerial Surveys and the following year, Director of Canadian Vickers Ltd. In 1928 he began supporting the newly formed Aerial League of Canada, designed to foster the development of aviation.

To further investigate the Canadian Shield's mineral potential, Richardson became a director and majority shareholder of Northern Aerial Mineral Explorations Limited (N.A.M.E.). In 1929 he became a Director of the Aviation Corporation of Delaware, U.S.A., a corporation which in turn controlled a number of other aircraft companies.

While Western Canada Airways was successfully establishing the long prairie link of a future trans-Canada airline, a number of eastern companies were experiencing financial and management difficulties, leading to less than satisfactory performance in mail delivery. Since a distinct threat existed that control of some of their business ventures might fall into the hands of American companies, Richardson helped to develop the Aviation Corporation of Canada. This step was then carried to its logical conclusion by forming one single operating company by the merger of Western Canada Airways with a group of smaller air operators across Canada. His goal was to provide coast-to-coast air transportation and mail delivery under Canadian control.

The new company, Canadian Airways Limited, came into operation in 1930, with Richardson appointed President. During the period of rapid change of the 1930's and the Depression that affected the entire country, Richardson's company kept civil aviation alive in Canada. There had been discussions in Ottawa for several years about the formation of an air service which would connect Canada from east to west, and Richardson believed that his airline would be involved in providing this service.

In 1936 the Department of Transport was formed, with its first Minister, C.D. Howe in control. Howe formed Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA) in 1937, assuring a monopoly for TCA in flying passengers and mail across Canada. His plans did not include Richardson's company and its established air routes.

In the early 1940's, Canadian Pacific Railways acquired Canadian Airways Limited, along with several small air operations, and began to operate Canadian Pacific Airlines (CPA) in 1942. In 1957 the prairie service of CPA was taken over by Pacific Western Airlines, operated by R.F. Baker, which would later purchase CPA and form Canadian Airlines International.

Several pilots and air engineers employed by Canadian Airways would in the future be inducted as Members of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. Those who served in 1934 as pilots/managers of Canadian Airways bases from Moncton to Vancouver: W.W. Fowler, J.P.R. Vachon, H. Hollick-Kenyon, C.H. Dickins, T.W. Siers, W.R. May and D.R. MacLaren.

Richardson was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Queen's University in 1929. This honour coincided with his appointment as Chancellor of that University, a position he held until his death. He died in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 26, 1939, at the age of 53.

In 1994, in order to commemorate its 50th Anniversary, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) struck a medal to be awarded based on outstanding contribution to civil aviation in a member state. Canada's nominee was James A. Richardson, who was ICAO's choice over all to receive this medal.

In 2007 the Winnipeg International Airport (Stevenson Field) was renamed the “Winnipeg James Richardson International Airport”.

James Armstrong Richardson was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1976 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.