From the Flight Deck

A message from the President and CEO

In the past year, we've been communicating more often with the entire team – not just about business results, but also larger corporate initiatives, including our long-term strategy, and new programs and initiatives.

As part of this commitment, I’m pleased to announce our first-ever podcast update. We’ll be trying this new video format as a way to provide information to all team members, no matter your position. Whether you work on the ramp or in the corporate office, now you can get your ‘info to go’ via this new format.

As always, your feedback shapes the direction we take, so let us know what you think. Each podcast will be available on my:porter, where you can submit comments via our feedback page.

And while this video may not turn out to be an overnight YouTube sensation, stranger things have gone viral …

Bob

*Editor's note: We've titled our PodCasts "Bob Casts" based on the creative inspiration of a certain VP, People & Culture.

Porter People

Enhancing Connections and Voice @ Porter

As part of ongoing team conversations, a common question we’ve heard is ‘what should I do if I have a concern with a situation or decision regarding the workplace that I haven't been able to resolve with my supervisor.'

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Almost Famous

4 Minutes of Awesome

Amanda: How much amazing can fit in 4 minutes and 21 seconds?

Erin: I don't know ... a lot?

Amanda: More than a lot!

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Above and Beyond

Our first Top 10!

Another big congratulations goes out to our first official Quarterly Top 10 Above & Beyond winners!

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Operations Summary

OTP and SCR results

Another positive Operations report as both SCR (Scheduled Completion Rate) and OTP (On-Time Performance) are up from this time last year. While we experienced significant weather challenges in October, cumulating with Hurricane Sandy, through a concerted effort by the entire team, we continue to show strong year over year improvement.

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On the Radar

With Wen Ma

Those of us who have found ourselves following and admiring Mr. Porter’s online adventures have Wen Ma to thank. As the Online Design Specialist, Wen spends her days bringing Mr. Porter to life in various online destinations, and designs most digital creative, including this newsletter!

Read on to learn about Wen’s passion for animation, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.

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Network News

Boston

Welcome to the family!

This month, we’re thrilled to extend a warm welcome as Boston officially joins the Porter family.

With an average of 42 flights and 707 Porter passengers a week (based on Oct 12 average), Boston is a network favourite for both leisure and business travellers. It also happens to boast the best seafood this side of the Atlantic.

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Porter page six

Just. That. Awesome.

Over the last few months, we’ve been out and about doing all sorts of good stuff for our community. From dashing up the CN Tower, to dunking Directors at our summer BBQs, we’ve been raising money for some great partners, and having an awesome time doing it. Here are some highlights from our community efforts over the last few months.

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The Relationship Experts

Letters of the Month

Anyone else tired of the rainy weather? No problem – according to our Customer Relations team, there are sunny skies and silver linings all over the place. Check out these letters from happy passengers, proving that whatever Mother Nature throws our way, we’re still able to provide a customer experience that shines bright.

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Feature Feedback

Hoppy Days Ahead ( … groan)

Sometimes, magic happens. Like last month, when Captain Marilyn Daigle sent us the following story of the Porter team stopping to rescue a friendly frog. Check this out – and we dare you to not smile.

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The Answer Squad

Move over, James Bond …

Throughout history, there have always been "unsung heroes" The ones who ride into town and rescue damsels in distress, or fight bad guys and win.

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But We’ve Always Done It That Way!

Managing Change at Porter

Special Feature, by Ed Davidson

“An object in motion tends to stay in motion until an external force is applied to it” - Sir Isaac Newton

Often called the “Law of Inertia,” anyone who has attended public or private school has likely been exposed to Newton’s First Law of Motion cited above. While it was designed primarily to explain to early 17th century skeptics why his theories surrounding the laws of the universe were true, today it serves as a good analogy for the business world.

Very few of us wake up in the morning thinking about what we can do today to radically change our lives or the way our company does business – yet that is frequently what is being forced upon us by the actions of our markets, our industry or simply our need to grow the business while remaining profitable. Essentially then, while change is inevitable, acceptance is optional, and frequently it is acceptance that is the stumbling block. Today, a business often succeeds or fails based on how well it can manage change.

At Porter, change has been pretty much a constant these last six years – if not in reaction to the market then certainly as a result of the pressures imposed by our competitors or forces we have little control over, such as fuel prices, airline regulation and continuing globalization of the world economy.

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This Is Your Caption Speaking

Send us your caption for the photo above. We’ll pick the best one, and the winning entry gets their name in lights in the next issue, and a $25 Starbucks gift card!

or email us at eporter@flyporter.com.

Congratulations to last Issue’s winner!

Krista Belanger

See winning entry

This Month in Tweets

We don’t like to brag about it, but we’re a little bit famous. You may have even seen us on the internet. We’re up to 60,000 friends and followers, and we’re pretty sure that qualifies us as being extra-popular. Here’s our favourite fan feedback from the last month.



Facebook Twitter Youtube

Suggestion Box

Comments? Questions? Just want to say hi? Let us know what you think of this edition of e:porter, and what you’d like to see in future issues!

or email us at eporter@flyporter.com.

Porter Family Album

In this issue – cupcakes, dunk tanks and some pretty fit team members showing off their muscles before scaling the CN Tower.

Have a photo to share? Get in touch or email eporter@flyporter.com with your pics!

    • Celebrating Six Years at Midway

    • Celebrating Six Years at Sudbury

    • CN Tower Climb

    • CN Tower Climb

    • CN Tower High Five

    • CN Tower Team

    • Happy Birthday Dan

    • Happy Birthday Surprise

    • Hoppy Days Ahead

    • John at the Dunk Tank

    • Piyush at the Dunk Tank

    • Ted at the Dunk Tank

    • Men at work in Montreal

    • Montreal Duathalon

    • Newark Sixth Birthday

    • Stylin in Halifax

    • Above and Beyond Party



Staff Travel!

Sarah’s picks for Halifax!

Back by popular demand, our resident travel expert, Sarah MacLenanan has pulled together a list of Halifax highlights that won’t bust your budget. You can check out these, and many other tips on my:porter, under the Best Of section.

Got your own Top 10? Get in touch or email eporter@flyporter.com.

Top 10 Cool Things to do in Halifax on a Budget:

  • 1. The Inn at Fisherman’s Cove is an amazing little B&B in an authentic fishing village in Eastern Passage, just 15 minutes from downtown Halifax. Drop by the Passage Ale House for Friday night karaoke and meet the grandson of Long John Sliver and other rollicking residents. Enjoy coffee and homemade croissants from the dock or your seaside balcony.

  • 2. The Ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax is the best way to land in either city (Hint: landlubbers may want to walk the MacDonald Bridge). Enjoy the gorgeous view from the short ferry ride and check out the Alderney Landing Art Gallery, Library and Saturday Farmer’s Market, right at the ferry landing in Dartmouth, the ‘Brooklyn’ of Nova Scotia.

  • 3. Walk the Halifax Harbour ‘Boardwalk’ from Casino Nova Scotia to Pier 21. Enjoy three km of local music, art, ships and shops at the edge of the Atlantic. (And if you have kids, take a Pirate Cruise or a ride on the Theodore Tugboat).

  • 4. At the end of the boardwalk, check out Seaport Farmer’s Market, an incredible collection of local food, art, crafts and of course, more live local music. Grab a slice of Baramoso breakfast pizza, a bottle of Cannonball root beer, and head up to the eco roof to watch the boats, birds, and people coming in to harbour.

  • 5. Drop by I ♥ Bikes on the boardwalk to rent an incredible comfy touring bicycle, share a tandem or book a guided spin through Old and New Halifax. A local musician and history buff will give you the local lowdown on Halifax and share historic tales that will make you shiver.

  • 6. Drop off your bike and walk up to Studio 21, a beautiful gallery of eclectic Canadian and contemporary art. Pick up a ‘Halifax Art Map’ at the gallery and sketch your own walking tour of the over 80 galleries and studios that Halifax offers. Walk on.

  • 7. Celebrate your first great Halifax day with a few $2 tasters on the patio at Garrison Brewery. From Tall Ship Amber Ale to Hop Yard Pale, you’ll be glad you didn’t pay the tour price at Alexander Keith’s. (Hint: you can check out the historic brewery on your way home.)

  • 8. Don’t leave for home without tasting fresh lobster! If you’re staying in Fisherman’s Cove, pick up a couple of fresh cooked lobsters from Wayne’s World or The Lobster Dive and take a $15 boat ride to enjoy a Lobster Picnic on McNabs Island. Check out the historical forts, deer, rabbits, coyotes and 206 species of birds on the island. (Hint: If you end up staying in Halifax, you can picnic on the Foggy Goggle patio on Argyle Street and try the Lobster Benny.)

  • 9. If you want to catch some real Atlantic waves and try surfing, Lawrencetown Beach is a 25-minute drive from downtown Halifax. This ocean playground and beautiful beach offers surf shops, rentals, lessons, art, crafts and a tearoom to warm up in when the surf is up. Stand ten.

  • 10. Climb up Citadel Hill in Halifax for one last amazing view of this incredible city, Take a step back into Halifax’s rich military history to hear the reverberating blast as the Royal Artillery shoot their noonday gun - the signal of midday in Halifax for over 155 years. About Face! As you were.