Update Feb 10 - Access to Info delayed

This section provides the latest play-by-play on where we are at with efforts. Please email any first hand updates you have.

Most working on this matter are ALPA-represented but we'd love to hear from others!

Old updates are here. Latest at bottom of this page.

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Tim Perry, APLA President, is heading up advocacy efforts via Governmental Affairs and liaising with Transport Canada. You can contact him via email (see the 'What Can You Do' page).

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Jan 8: An Access to Information and Privacy request has been filed, asking for the history and development of this Document.

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Jan 19:

A new version of the form has been making the rounds, you can see the form here.

CHANGES:

Para 3 of the upper Privacy Notice (PN) adds "aggregate data" to one portion:

aggregate data may be disclosed to TC senior management (vs personal information in old form).

Para 4 of the PN reads "If you do not provide your personal information, the Civil Aviation Medicine Branch may suspend assessment of your medical certificate and/or application, with no entitlement for a refund. The old form read "If you do not provide your personal information, the Civil Aviation Medicine Branch will suspend assessment of your medical certificate and/or application, with no entitlement for a refund."

Para 2 of the Declaration (lower) section has added the word "medical" to clarify the information gleaned from (still unspecified) third parties, so it now reads "I hereby authorize TC to collect and review any additional medical information about me from third parties that may be deemed necessary to establish that I meet the requirements", ..etc

The entire para"I understand that refusal to provide the required information will result in TC suspending the assessment of my medical certificate application with no entitlement for a refund." was removed from the Declaration (lower) portion.

We expect these minimal changes will be of small comfort to the majority.

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Jan 20 - CPC Shadow Minister for Transport, Dan Albas has sent a letter on behalf of Canadian pilots to the Minister of Transport. You can read that here.

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Jan 20 - An ALPA Canada Communique provided an update. They seem to imply that the matter is largely resolved via the changes outlined above. You can read their update here.

We strongly disagree.

All of the major issues raised on this site remain in play, and are an entirely inexcusable intrusion into pilots' private lives, well outside the requirement to ensure fitness for flight.

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Jan 31 - An ALPA Canada Communique was sent to ALPA members.

The language in this latest email is more direct and seems to approach the matter more seriously. They also included their latest letter to the Minister of Transport, which reflects the same serious and direct approach, mentioning several questions we and others have raised. You can read the email and letter here.

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Feb 3 - A Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA) email was sent to their ATC members (read here). As we've seen before it's the tired old "nothing to see here, move on".

Incredibly, von Schoenberg and Loder declare, "this updated form does not change the existing medical disclosure process or requirements." Really now?

Comically, in the next paragraph, they mention their plan to check in with Transport to confirm nothing has changed...

ATC members should be emailing asking them to support their claims, outlining the many points we've raised here, and here.

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NEW Feb 10 - We heard back on the Access to Information (ATIP) request we filed, right at the 30 day mark. This is their limit to reply and as almost always happens, they are claiming they need more time. This delay is going to be an additional 60 days "due to the need to consult third parties" (ironically). We can file a complaint, which they give themselves 90 days to respond to...