Pearson airport hosts job fair as air travel in Toronto comes 'roaring back'
More than 2,000 people registered for a job fair at Toronto Pearson Airport following nearly three years of turbulence in the travel sector brought on by COVID-19.
“The air industry was hit hard by the pandemic, but travel is back and the industry is roaring back and we can’t fly without boots on the ground and in the sky,” Karen Mazurkewich, Vice President, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), said at a news conference Tuesday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“This is an incredible industry to be in and this job fair is just a small window on the size of this dynamic economic zone here in the GTA.”
Jobs up for grabs at Canada’s busiest airport include 400 positions in customer service and hospitality, as well as security and baggage handling.
The GTAA said it employed just 1,500 of the 50,000 people who worked at Pearson before the pandemic.
Tuesday’s job fair, which saw registrations top 2,300, looks to fill the spots laid bare in the last three years to set the airport up for future success.
Accompanying the mass-hiring event, which was funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, is a new job portal and pilot project, which Mazurkewich said will fast-track security clearances for employees who need them.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority hosts a job fair at Pearson Airport on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.
Gurvinder Singh is one of the many prospective employees at Tuesday’s fair and said he will take any work he can get.
“I don’t have any preference. Anything that I find suitable for me, I will go for that,” Singh told CP24.
Toronto Pearson made headlines for all the wrong reasons last summer following months of delays and flight cancellations. At one point, the airport was ranked as the worst airport in the world for delays by CNN.
The unenviable ranking, brought on by staffing issues and COVID-19 travel measures still in effect at the time, seems now to be a thing of the past and the introduction of new tools in recent months have allowed travellers to get through the airport faster.
Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, was in attendance Tuesday and celebrated the turnout at the airport northwest of the city, which she described as a major “facilitator of the economy in southern Ontario”
“A job fair is nothing but excellent economic news for the local community and for the people of Ontario who make such great use of this airport,” Williams said.
People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Nordstrom Canada liquidation sales expected to begin today as store prepares for exit
Nordstrom is expected to begin liquidating its stores across Canada today.
Statistics Canada set to release its latest inflation reading this morning
Statistics Canada is set to release its latest report this morning on how much the cost of living is rising.
Gwyneth Paltrow to stand trial for Deer Valley ski crash
Gwyneth Paltrow is scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
'Everyone's devastated': Friends say neuroscientist, 31, missing in Old Montreal fire
A 31-year-old neuroscientist is believed to be among the six people missing after a massive fire in Old Montreal last week. An Wu was staying at the heritage building on Place d'Youville to attend a conference, according to friends and family.
1 dead after triple shooting at Fairview Mall parking lot in Toronto
One person is dead and two others are injured following a daylight shooting in the parking lot of Fairview Mall on Monday afternoon.
Carson Briere, son of Flyers GM Danny, charged for pushing wheelchair down stairs
Three misdemeanour charges were filed Monday against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
5 things to know for Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says "targeted inflation relief" is coming in the 2023 federal budget, an Ottawa board of health member feels the love following a body-shaming message, and a former NHL player's son is charged for pushing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
'Targeted inflation relief' coming in 2023 federal budget, Freeland says
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
Montreal
-
6 missing after Old Montreal fire 'probably still in the rubble': Police
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
-
Unanswered questions: Montreal mayor calls for meeting with Airbnb after fatal fire
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
-
$1 billion added to cost of Louis-Hyppolyte-La Fontaine tunnel work
The bill to repair the Louis-Hyppolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, which connects the island of Montreal to the South Shore, is turning out to be more expensive than expected.
London
-
Aylmer fire burns long into the night
Emergency crews remain on scene Tuesday morning following a massive fire that broke out on Monday. Crews were first called to the scene around 9 p.m.
-
Neighbourhood group slams city for lack of transparency in recommending closure of Thames Pool
The Old South Community Organization (OSCO) is expressing concern about city staff’s failure to consult with stakeholders before recommending that Thames Pool be decommissioned.
-
Investigation on hold: Cause of blaze at former LPH still undetermined
The City of London, Ont. and fire officials said it will be some time before they know whether a building that burned down on the grounds of the former London Psychiatric Hospital over the weekend can be saved.
Kitchener
-
Inquest into death of Kitchener man shot and killed by police begins
Nearly eight years after 20-year-old Beau Baker was shot and killed by a Waterloo regional police officer, an inquest into the Kitchener man’s death is now getting underway.
-
'BORGs' abound at Waterloo St. Patrick’s Day, but what are they?
A new youth binge-drinking trend was on display in the streets of Waterloo’s university district Friday.
-
Parents question eBook checkout system that allows for inappropriate material to be accessed by students
Several parents are questioning the filtering process of eBooks available to students at the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) after they say their children were able to access eBooks that are not age appropriate.
Northern Ontario
-
Another southern Ont. snowmobiler dies in crash on a northern trail
Another southern Ontario resident in their 30s has died following a snowmobile crash in the northern region.
-
Elliot Lake cancels drag race event, cites lack of interest, economic losses
Elliot Lake has cancelled the Northern Shore Drag Race, which has been going on for the past two decades and typically draws hundreds of vehicles and a thousand people.
-
Sudbury police say vehicle was travelling 170 km/h in 80 km/h zone
A young driver from Espanola has been charged with stunt driving following a recent incident in the early morning hours in Sudbury.
Ottawa
-
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
-
Kingston police say nine people charged in bus station assault caught on camera
Kingston police say nine people are facing charges after a serious assault in the city's west end earlier this month.
-
Nordstrom Canada to begin liquidation Tuesday after receiving court's permission
The liquidation sales at Nordstrom stores across Canada will begin Tuesday.
Windsor
-
Double-digit temperatures in Windsor-Essex
A beautiful spring day is on the way in Windsor-Essex. The temperature is forecast to reach double digits for the next few days, starting Tuesday.
-
'The plan needs to be urgent': Windsor council wants feds to act on emergency commission recommendations
It’s been a little more than a year since the week-long protests that blocked the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont. A special report was presented to council Monday night by Jennifer King, the lawyer who represented the city and police at the commission.
-
Man arrested for arson after 'deliberate' Forest Glade house explosion
Windsor police say they have arrested a 24-year-old Toronto man after a “deliberate” house explosion in Forest Glade.
Barrie
-
Police investigating online threat directed towards Bradford school
South Simcoe Police is investigating an alleged threat of violence in an online threat targeted towards a Bradford High School.
-
Real estate market on the upswing after challenging year
Market trends in Simcoe County show an increase in viewings and buyers re-entering the market after key interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada warded off many last year.
-
Impaired driving trial begins for man accused in deadly head-on Highway 12 collision in 2020
The trial of Sigfrid Stahn, accused of being impaired and causing a deadly head-on collision on Highway 12 in Waubaushene nearly three years ago, began Monday.
Atlantic
-
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
-
New Brunswick government to table budget Tuesday as province sees surge in population
New Brunswick's finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget Tuesday as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.
-
N.S. government offering nurses $10,000 bonuses to keep them in public health system
Front-line nurses who are working for publicly-funded employers in Nova Scotia will receive a bonus of up to $10,000, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced Monday.
Calgary
-
No sanctuary here: Animal rescue operation faces threat of closure after permit denied
A Wheatland County sanctuary that cares for abandoned and surrendered farm animals faces an uncertain future after having a permit application to keep operating denied.
-
Neighbour recalls night two Edmonton police officers were killed outside her door
A woman who lives across from the apartment where a 16-year-old shot and killed two Edmonton police constables has multiple bullet holes in her door, with a couple piercing her doorframe.
-
Child in life-threatening condition after being struck by vehicle in northwest Calgary
An 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition after being struck by a vehicle in the northwest Calgary neighbourhood of Royal Oak.
Winnipeg
-
Gimli eyes short-term rental regulations
The rural municipality posted a notice on its website Monday announcing it will be developing a strategy to regulate short-term rentals.
-
'It's very frustrating': Exchange District businesses upset over surprise road closure
The surprise closure of an Exchange District street has business owners looking for answers on why they weren't given any notice.
-
Man stabbed with hypodermic needle at restaurant: police
A 34-year-old woman is facing charges after she allegedly stabbed a stranger with a hypodermic needle while they were waiting in line to order food at a restaurant.
Vancouver
-
Vancouver’s fire chief 'extremely frustrated' with daily fires on Downtown Eastside
After a large fire spread from tents to a shuttered theatre on the city’s Downtown Eastside, Vancouver’s fire chief told reporters she was “incredibly frustrated” that more isn’t being done to prevent daily fires breaking out in the area.
-
'1 step forward, 3 steps back: Vancouver city council to vote on 'pace-of-change' policy
Vancouver council will soon vote on a policy that could slow development in the Broadway Plan, one of the most significant long-term projects underway in the city.
-
Police cleared in off-duty officer's death at Langley, B.C., business
Weeks after an off-duty officer died at a Langley, B.C., business, a watchdog has cleared police at the scene of wrongdoing.
Edmonton
-
Neighbour recalls night two Edmonton police officers were killed outside her door
A woman who lives across from the apartment where a 16-year-old shot and killed two Edmonton police constables has multiple bullet holes in her door, with a couple piercing her doorframe.
-
Regimental funeral for fallen Edmonton police officers scheduled for next Monday
The Edmonton police officers killed in the line of duty last week will be laid to rest next Monday.
-
5 killed, boy seriously injured, in northern Alberta crash
Five people were killed in a crash in northern Alberta Sunday evening. One person – a five-year-old boy – survived and was airlifted to hospital in life-threatening condition, RCMP say.