Latest news with #McConnachie
Hamilton Spectator
22-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Shocked by new Canadian North prices? It's just a ‘clerical error'
Alex McConnachie couldn't believe his eyes: When he checked Canadian North's website Monday morning, it said the price of a one-way ticket from Ottawa to Iqaluit had more than tripled to approximately $2,000. 'I'm a hostage to these fares,' said McConnachie, who lives in Iqaluit and shares custody of his 12-year-old son with his ex-wife, who lives in Halifax. Under their custody agreement, McConnachie has to pay for the plane ticket for his son to travel to visit his mother regardless of how much the ticket costs. 'So if they say that flight is $9,000, I have to pay it,' he said, adding that a drastic increase in Canadian North prices would mean that simply fulfilling his duties as a father might drive him deep into debt. Turns out, it was all a false alarm. A 'clerical error' led to one-way tickets — which usually sell for approximately $500 — being listed for $1,800 to $2,000 on Canadian North's website Monday, said Lauren D'Oliveira, an airline spokesperson. D'Oliveira said it might take some time for the website to update, but early Monday afternoon it still listed the wrong prices. 'We can confirm a configuration error during a recent system update did affect fares that would have been visible on our website,' said Pam Plaster, vice-president for investor development for Exchange Income Corp., the airline's owner. She said fares are not being increased. Plaster said Canadian North will contact passengers, such as McConnachie, who already booked flights at the incorrect prices to issue 'appropriate refunds.' D'Oliveira said she didn't know the exact number of passengers who will receive a refund or when the incorrect prices first appeared on the website. Canadian North was recently acquired by Exchange Income Corp. Its chief executive officer, Mike Pyle, promised the sale would not drive up the airline's fares. News that the price hike was an error came as relief to McConnachie. He said the panic he and other Nunavummiut experienced reminded him of a long-running joke that the North's dominant airline's motto should be: 'Canadian North — what are you gonna do, walk?' 'It's not like we have other options,' McConnachie said. Doubling the price of tickets would have contravened the orders of Transport Canada, the federal department responsible for national transportation policies and programs. In 2023, the department announced conditions for Canadian North's 2019 merger with First Air that included a 25 per cent cap on annual fare increases. The conditions remain in effect until June 30, 2026. 'Transport Canada monitors Canadian North's compliance with the terms and conditions and will take the appropriate actions should they not be complied with,' Hicham Ayoun, spokesperson for Transport Canada, said in an email Monday. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The National
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Ultra-Unionist fringe group fails to reach crowdfunder target
Fringe group A Force For Good (AFFG) is run by Holocaust denier Alistair McConnachie, who was barred from Ukip over his views. Recently, he led a small protest outside of the First Minister's anti-far-right summit in April. Holding signs that said 'mass deportation now', the group claimed they were 'not far-right'. They were joined by activists from Reform UK. And now, McConnachie's latest fundraising effort for a second volume of 'A Big Book For The Union' titled "Protect Our Country: Policies To Stop Mass Immigration", appears to have fallen flat. READ MORE: Inside the 'pivotal' Scottish Greens leadership contest The group said the funds would be used to launch the publication in Dover 'to take our team there for a weekend's activism', the crowdfunder said, as well as a large banner. AFFG set their crowdfunder target at £2400, but have so far only raised £1800. While the crowdfunder was set to end on Wednesday, July 9, it has been set as 'always on'. A total of 49 people had donated at time of writing, the largest donation was £100. In a four-and-a-half-minute-long YouTube video on the page, McConnachie says: 'Since post-war, they've created a system in Britain, where the taxpayers pay millions and millions of pounds to NGOs and charities whose sole purpose is to destroy the country. (Image: Crowdfunder) 'We pay millions … billions to lawyers for legal aid who represent ne'er-do-wells and people who shouldn't be in the country. "If you want to have a career in messing up Britain, you'll have a very easy career and there will be no shortage of people giving you millions of pounds. "But if you want to save the country, then I'm afraid you need to make other sacrifices … because you simply won't get any of the taxpayers' money that the others get,' he adds, laughing. McConnachie said that the £2400 target would get the fringe group 'through to December', adding that it would pay for running costs and 'occasional payments' to various 'helpers'. READ MORE: BBC slated for pushing small boat crossings as top Scottish story AFFG has had 10 other fundraisers on the website, now closed, most of which relate to 'defending' and 'maintaining' the Union. Ross Greer, Scottish Green MSP, said: 'McConnachie is a serial loser who was kicked out of Ukip for Holocaust denial. 'His toxic, white supremacist rhetoric is not welcome in Scotland, as proven every time he has stood for election.' Despite failing to reach their target, AFFG celebrated their fundraising on Facebook. 'Our crowdfunder was a success with our fantastic supporters raising £1770 towards our summer campaign,' one post read. 'Thanks again. We couldn't do this without you.' In an earlier post, they begged followers on the final day of the crowdfunder to reach 75% of the target. McConnachie (above) has previously contested elections under the banner of 'Independent Green Voice', which was described as a 'fascist front' by the Scottish Greens. During the Holyrood 2021, the party suggested the similarity between their branding and IGV's cost them two list seats. Despite hundreds of complaints to the Electoral Commission from voters who felt they were 'misled', no action was taken. McConnachie then used the IGV party banner to run in the Hillhead by-election for Glasgow City Council in 2024. He was previously Ukip's Scottish organiser from 1999 to 2001, standing as a candidate for the right-wing party five times, unsuccessfully. The party refused to renew his membership in late 2001 after he claimed in an email that he didn't 'accept' that gas chambers were used to 'execute Jews for the simple fact there is no direct physical evidence to show that such gas chambers ever existed'. 'There are no photographs or films of execution gas chambers ... Alleged eyewitness accounts are revealed as false or highly exaggerated,' he wrote. McConnachie stood by his comments in an interview with the Sunday Herald in 2018, but claimed he was not a Holocaust denier.
