Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. This is a tremendous experience for me.
My name is Marie-Josée Pagé, and I have been a flight attendant since 1986. I was initially based out of Toronto but am now based out of Montreal. The year 2017 marks my 31st year of flying.
During that time, I have had many firsts, met numerous people, and experienced the highs and lows typical of an ever-changing industry. I have flown 21,700 hours, had five different uniforms, worn 60 pairs of shoes, and crossed paths with a wide array of passengers, from rock stars, movie stars, race-car drivers, and sports personalities to prime ministers, presidents, politicians, and the Dalai Lama.
Along the way, I have felt the impact of AIDS, the avian flu, SARS, the Ebola virus, and 9/11, not to mention put my self-defence training to the test.
It is with a positive attitude and all of that baggage that I appear before you in my new capacity as the head of Air Canada's francization committee, as well as a Montreal-based flight attendant. I will do my best to answer any questions you have.
Thank you.