Eastern Provincial Airways
Encyclopedia
Eastern Provincial Airways traces its history from Maritime Central Airways
(MCA) from 1961 and merged with CP Air to form Canadian Pacific Airlines
in 1986.
EPA, as it was known, was the backbone of air travel in Eastern Canada in the 1970s. At its peak, the carrier operated jet
service connecting many communities that today only have service from 18-seat turboprop
s.
, Newfoundland
in 1949. Early services, like those of MCA, included a mixed bag of ambulance and mail services, cargo, charters, and forest and ice patrols - hardly a hint of the modern carrier that would emerge scarcely twenty years later. The company was founded with a Norseman aircraft by Eric Blackwood
, a bush pilot and Royal Canadian Air Force
veteran from World War II
. Blackwood had the backing of St. John's businessman C.A. Crosbie
.
The purchase of a PBY Canso in 1953 allowed EPA to take larger charter jobs, and a converted Canso allowed water-bombing
flights on behalf of the government.In 1954 EPA moved its headquarters from St. John's to the now bustling international aviation hub in Gander
where EPA planes mingled with the likes of Pan American
and BOAC
en route to or from Europe
. But EPA's work still consisted mostly of a wide variety of government contracts. In Gander, EPA set up administrative offices and a maintenance hangar and with the addition of larger Douglas DC-3
s and Lockheed 10
s, commenced regular passenger services between St. John's, Gander and Deer Lake
in 1955-56. In addition to regional charter work, international projects were operated as well, including a contract beginning in 1958 to do extensive work in Greenland
with PBY Cansos and DHC-3 Otters for the Danish government until 1965.
In 1960, regular passenger services began to Wabush
and Twin Falls in Labrador
. Curtis C-46s were leased for the routes with the first Handley Page Dart Heralds bought in 1962.
In 1963, EPA purchased MCA and the two companies merged to form Eastern Provincial Airways (1963) Limited. The amalgamation allowed for a strong regional carrier to compete against government owned Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada
).
The mixed-bag operation continued until 1970. The 1960s saw EPA operate a varied fleet of 36 aircraft, including four 46-passenger Handley Page Heralds, six PBY Cansos, two Curtis C-46s, two Sikorsky S-55 helicopters, one Douglas DC-4
, five DC-3 workhorses, and a few other smaller aircraft. The airline had a distinguished decade with work in India
and Pakistan
and they enjoyed the novelty of being the first Canadian airline in the new Soviet bloc Eastern Europe
when EPA operated a cargo charter into Czechoslovakia
.
By 1970, EPA had started to resemble a modern airline. That year, EPA's bush operations were sold to some senior staff as a separate airline - Labrador Airways, now Air Labrador
.
EPA decided to standardize with Boeing 737
s in the 1970s. The airline acquired seven of the jets from Boeing
. The same color scheme that EPA developed in the 1960s was adopted. They were painted white with a silver belly and an orange stripe along the window line. The orange gander logo was put on the tail, and the nose cone was painted black. Inside, passengers sat in flower patterned seats of various colors of purple, orange, and yellow - fashionable colors in the 1970s.
EPA expressed an intent in the early 1970s to have an all-jet fleet as soon as practically possible. As it turned out, this was never to happen. EPA entered the decade with three Handley Page Heralds and two DC-3s. The Heralds were responsible for flights into Iles-de-la-Madeleine
, Quebec
and Charlo, Chatham and Fredericton, New Brunswick
until 1974 when they were sold to British Air Ferries. EPA started jet service into the northern New Brunswick
cities while a Hawker-Siddeley 748
was acquired to replace the Heralds on the flights to Iles-de-la-Madeleine.
1972 and 1973 were good years for EPA. The number of passengers carried grew dramatically every year from 1969 until 1973. The company expanded, starting jet services into Saint John
and Fredericton (New Brunswick) and Stephenville
, (Newfoundland). New employees were hired and EPA was successful in obtaining a Foreign Air Carrier Permit for the United States
. EPA had interest in Sydney
to Boston
and Halifax to Portland
and Bangor
(Maine), but these routes never materialized. Instead, the company began to fly charters to Florida
and the Caribbean
in 1974.
Negotiations were begun with de Havilland Canada
and the Canadian federal government for a subsidiary carrier to operate using de Havilland Dash 7s. The Canadian federal application for the new service was rejected two years later and although the company renewed the application in 1977, Atlantic Canada wouldn't see Dash 7s until the mid-1980s when deregulation of the Canadian Aviation industry allowed for the Canadian Pacific feeder carrier Air Atlantic
.
1975 was the first year EPA had a loss since entering the jet age in 1969. Over-capacity was partly dealt with by leasing 737s for six month periods to Wien Air Alaska
, Aloha Airlines
, and Aer Lingus
over the next couple of years. The airline's DC-3s were operated on the Gander-St.Anthony-Goose Bay and Sydney-St.Pierre routes until 1975 when the St. Anthony service was taken over by another carrier and early in 1976 the St. Pierre route was upgraded to a Hawker-Siddeley 748. The DC-3 were disposed of -- the last piston engined
aircraft in EPA's fleet.
In 1981 and 1982, EPA acquired three more Hawker-Siddeley 748s from Austin Airways
, Ghana Airways
, and COPA
of Panama
. These planes were used to feed jet services on flights from Moncton, New Brunswick
, Charlottetown
, Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
. In 1982 EPA set up Air Maritime as a wholly owned subsidiary to operate the 748s.
EPA's headquarters were moved from Gander, now no longer a major aviation center, to Halifax. This allowed EPA to make Halifax a hub of operations and when schedules were coordinated with CP Air in 1983, Halifax became the main point of transit for passengers connecting from points further west to various places in the Maritimes and Newfoundland. By that time, EPA flew throughout Newfoundland, Nova Scotia
, New Brunswick
, and Prince Edward Island
as well as far west as Montreal
, Ottawa
and Toronto
.
EPA introduced a new color scheme in the early eighties as well. Gone was the orange, replaced by a more up to date large navy blue "EPA" painted on the side of an all white side with the white gander on a blue background on the tail. Inside the 70s flower print seats were replaced by a more subtle beige with blue and red triangles.
The 1980s and deregulation meant dramatic changes for Canadian airlines, including EPA. By 1984, EPA had entered into a strategic alliance with CP Air of Vancouver
. CP lacked a Canadian route network east of Montréal and EPA's Atlantic province network complemented CP very well with Toronto and Montréal acting as connecting hubs.
Soon afterwards, CP bought EPA and by 1986 EPA was no more as its operations were merged into CP Air. A new corporate personality soon was unveiled for CP with the resurrection of the Canadian Pacific Air Lines name and a modern blue, white and red color scheme.
Maritime Central Airways
Maritime Central Airways was a predecessor of Eastern Provincial Airways and was founded by Prince Edward Island native Carl Burke and Josiah Anderson in 1941 out of Moncton, New Brunswick and provided standard passenger, cargo, and charter flights throughout the Maritimes and Newfoundland and...
(MCA) from 1961 and merged with CP Air to form Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986...
in 1986.
EPA, as it was known, was the backbone of air travel in Eastern Canada in the 1970s. At its peak, the carrier operated jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
service connecting many communities that today only have service from 18-seat turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s.
History
Eastern Provincial Airways began operations from St. John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in 1949. Early services, like those of MCA, included a mixed bag of ambulance and mail services, cargo, charters, and forest and ice patrols - hardly a hint of the modern carrier that would emerge scarcely twenty years later. The company was founded with a Norseman aircraft by Eric Blackwood
Eric Blackwood
Eric Blackwood aviator, born Brookfield, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. A noted navigator during World War II, Blackwood is the founder of Eastern Provincial Airways. In the early days of EPA, Blackwood acted as pilot, operations manager and director.Blackwood, educated at Wesleyville and...
, a bush pilot and Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
veteran from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Blackwood had the backing of St. John's businessman C.A. Crosbie
Chesley Crosbie
Chesley A. Crosbie was a Newfoundland businessman and politician.Crosbie belonged to a prominent St. John's family involved in hotels, fish exporting, insurance, shipping and manufactring...
.
The purchase of a PBY Canso in 1953 allowed EPA to take larger charter jobs, and a converted Canso allowed water-bombing
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
flights on behalf of the government.In 1954 EPA moved its headquarters from St. John's to the now bustling international aviation hub in Gander
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
where EPA planes mingled with the likes of Pan American
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
and BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
en route to or from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. But EPA's work still consisted mostly of a wide variety of government contracts. In Gander, EPA set up administrative offices and a maintenance hangar and with the addition of larger Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s and Lockheed 10
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
s, commenced regular passenger services between St. John's, Gander and Deer Lake
Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador
-External links:*...
in 1955-56. In addition to regional charter work, international projects were operated as well, including a contract beginning in 1958 to do extensive work in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
with PBY Cansos and DHC-3 Otters for the Danish government until 1965.
In 1960, regular passenger services began to Wabush
Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador
Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, known for transportation and iron ore operations for over three decades ....
and Twin Falls in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
. Curtis C-46s were leased for the routes with the first Handley Page Dart Heralds bought in 1962.
In 1963, EPA purchased MCA and the two companies merged to form Eastern Provincial Airways (1963) Limited. The amalgamation allowed for a strong regional carrier to compete against government owned Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
).
The mixed-bag operation continued until 1970. The 1960s saw EPA operate a varied fleet of 36 aircraft, including four 46-passenger Handley Page Heralds, six PBY Cansos, two Curtis C-46s, two Sikorsky S-55 helicopters, one Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
, five DC-3 workhorses, and a few other smaller aircraft. The airline had a distinguished decade with work in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and they enjoyed the novelty of being the first Canadian airline in the new Soviet bloc Eastern Europe
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
when EPA operated a cargo charter into Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
By 1970, EPA had started to resemble a modern airline. That year, EPA's bush operations were sold to some senior staff as a separate airline - Labrador Airways, now Air Labrador
Air Labrador
Labrador Airways Limited, operating as Air Labrador, is a regional airline based in Goose Bay , Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It operates scheduled daily passenger and freight services throughout Labrador and Quebec, as well as charter operations with the options of landing in remote and off...
.
EPA decided to standardize with Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s in the 1970s. The airline acquired seven of the jets from Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
. The same color scheme that EPA developed in the 1960s was adopted. They were painted white with a silver belly and an orange stripe along the window line. The orange gander logo was put on the tail, and the nose cone was painted black. Inside, passengers sat in flower patterned seats of various colors of purple, orange, and yellow - fashionable colors in the 1970s.
EPA expressed an intent in the early 1970s to have an all-jet fleet as soon as practically possible. As it turned out, this was never to happen. EPA entered the decade with three Handley Page Heralds and two DC-3s. The Heralds were responsible for flights into Iles-de-la-Madeleine
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Charlo, Chatham and Fredericton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
until 1974 when they were sold to British Air Ferries. EPA started jet service into the northern New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
cities while a Hawker-Siddeley 748
Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
was acquired to replace the Heralds on the flights to Iles-de-la-Madeleine.
1972 and 1973 were good years for EPA. The number of passengers carried grew dramatically every year from 1969 until 1973. The company expanded, starting jet services into Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
and Fredericton (New Brunswick) and Stephenville
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
, (Newfoundland). New employees were hired and EPA was successful in obtaining a Foreign Air Carrier Permit for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. EPA had interest in Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Halifax to Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
(Maine), but these routes never materialized. Instead, the company began to fly charters to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in 1974.
Negotiations were begun with de Havilland Canada
De Havilland Canada
The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
and the Canadian federal government for a subsidiary carrier to operate using de Havilland Dash 7s. The Canadian federal application for the new service was rejected two years later and although the company renewed the application in 1977, Atlantic Canada wouldn't see Dash 7s until the mid-1980s when deregulation of the Canadian Aviation industry allowed for the Canadian Pacific feeder carrier Air Atlantic
Air Atlantic
Air Atlantic was a Canadian airline, operating a fleet of BAe 146-200, BAe 4100 and Dash 8-100 aircraft. The airline also operated Dash 7 aircraft at the inception while waiting for their first Dash 8's. The Airline was an Atlantic Provinces feeder airline for Canadian Pacific Airlines, then...
.
1975 was the first year EPA had a loss since entering the jet age in 1969. Over-capacity was partly dealt with by leasing 737s for six month periods to Wien Air Alaska
Wien Air Alaska
Wien Air Alaska was formed from Northern Consolidated Airlines and Wien Alaska Airways. The company was famous for being the first airline in Alaska, and one of the first in the United States.-History:...
, Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport...
, and Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
over the next couple of years. The airline's DC-3s were operated on the Gander-St.Anthony-Goose Bay and Sydney-St.Pierre routes until 1975 when the St. Anthony service was taken over by another carrier and early in 1976 the St. Pierre route was upgraded to a Hawker-Siddeley 748. The DC-3 were disposed of -- the last piston engined
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
aircraft in EPA's fleet.
In 1981 and 1982, EPA acquired three more Hawker-Siddeley 748s from Austin Airways
Austin Airways
Austin Airways was a passenger airline and freight carrier based in Timmins, Ontario, and the oldest in Canada.-Code Information:*ICAO Code:*IATA Code:*Call Sign:-Company history:...
, Ghana Airways
Ghana Airways
Ghana Airways Limited was the national airline of the Republic of Ghana with its main base of operation, and hub, at Kotoka International Airport in Accra....
, and COPA
COPA
COPA may stand for:* Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet** Not to be confused with the Children's Internet Protection Act , the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act or COPA's predecessor legislation, the Communications Decency...
of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. These planes were used to feed jet services on flights from Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. It is the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France that remains under French control....
. In 1982 EPA set up Air Maritime as a wholly owned subsidiary to operate the 748s.
EPA's headquarters were moved from Gander, now no longer a major aviation center, to Halifax. This allowed EPA to make Halifax a hub of operations and when schedules were coordinated with CP Air in 1983, Halifax became the main point of transit for passengers connecting from points further west to various places in the Maritimes and Newfoundland. By that time, EPA flew throughout Newfoundland, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
as well as far west as Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
EPA introduced a new color scheme in the early eighties as well. Gone was the orange, replaced by a more up to date large navy blue "EPA" painted on the side of an all white side with the white gander on a blue background on the tail. Inside the 70s flower print seats were replaced by a more subtle beige with blue and red triangles.
The 1980s and deregulation meant dramatic changes for Canadian airlines, including EPA. By 1984, EPA had entered into a strategic alliance with CP Air of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. CP lacked a Canadian route network east of Montréal and EPA's Atlantic province network complemented CP very well with Toronto and Montréal acting as connecting hubs.
Soon afterwards, CP bought EPA and by 1986 EPA was no more as its operations were merged into CP Air. A new corporate personality soon was unveiled for CP with the resurrection of the Canadian Pacific Air Lines name and a modern blue, white and red color scheme.