Calgary athlete flew to Europe 2 weeks ago and still doesn't have his luggage
CBC
A Calgary teen who is in Europe for the Junior World Orienteering Championships says he's still missing his luggage after it was lost by WestJet roughly two weeks ago.
Andrew McLaren is worried he won't be able to compete next week if the bag, which contains his orienteering gear, doesn't turn up soon.
"[I'm] just frustrated," said McLaren, 18, a McMaster University student.
He's hardly the only one. Missing baggage is just the latest challenge facing air travellers as a post-pandemic travel boom, coupled with ongoing staff shortages, leads to flight cancellations and long lineups at the airport.
For McLaren, it was a long journey even before the missing bag snarled his plans. He first flew from Calgary to Edmonton, then from Edmonton to Toronto and finally from Toronto to Spain.
McLaren saw his luggage being loaded onto the plane leaving Edmonton, but when he arrived in Barcelona on June 21, it wasn't there. He said about 10 other people were also missing their luggage.
McLaren's bag contained his Team Canada uniform and special running shoes with extra grip. He needs both in order to compete in orienteering.
McLaren said WestJet has repeatedly told him the bag is on its way, but he hasn't seen it yet. The latest promise is for WestJet to send it to Porto so his teammates can pick it up en route to the competition, which kicks off in Portugal next Monday.
"Considering my experience so far, I'm not too hopeful about that," he said.
In a statement, WestJet said it couldn't comment on McLaren's specific situation. A spokesperson said the airline is aware travellers have dealt with delays, including baggage delays.
"We are working alongside our third-party service partner to alleviate baggage delays and have invested in additional WestJet oversight to support our partner responsible for actioning and delivering our baggage services in a timely manner," the spokesperson said.
This type of delay isn't just a WestJet problem, according to Gabor Lukacs.
Lukacs, the founder of Air Passenger Rights Canada, said his organization has been "overwhelmed" in recent weeks with messages from passengers whose baggage has been delayed. Lukacs said it's become a common issue across Canadian airlines and pins the blame on carriers overselling their capacity.
"What has happened here is no different than a landlord renting out his apartment to five different people at the same time and not telling them it's already rented out," he said.
With its emergency shelter beds frequently running at 50 per cent over capacity and demand so great that it's forced to refer some women escaping domestic violence elsewhere, Gillian's Place in St. Catharines will soon be able to offer a broader range of services to more victims of gender-based violence.
The ceiling of the CAW Student Centre at the University of Windsor is decorated by flags of numerous nations — among them, Iran.
Turmoil in Iran, a major disruption in world oil markets, and stratospheric gasoline prices in Canada and beyond. What's racking motorists and governments in 2026 also faced them in 1979, sparked by the Iranian Revolution.
Five decades later, and Thunder Bay's Music World Academy remains a family-run business.
Dalton Dubois of Guelph, Ont., made history at the recent Paris Fashion Week when she became the first transgender model to walk the runway for Chanel Exclusive.
Work is scheduled to begin over the summer at the site of the former Clinton Creek asbestos mine, about 65 kilometres northwest of Dawson City, Yukon.
They may be bitter rivals in the House of Commons, but outside the chamber, recent events may have led to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Mark Carney forging a bond.
Local fans and industry insiders say the province’s move to ban the reselling of event tickets for more than their original value is a step in the right direction, but some say there are still larger issues that need to be addressed.
This First Person column is the experience of Mehdi M. Kashani, who lives in Toronto. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
A very quiet queue has formed in Europe where some of Canada's long-standing, closest allies are seeking shelter under France's small but robust nuclear umbrella.
Friday morning's dusting of snow was no match for the large crowd visiting the Suleman Dawood Masjid in St. John’s for Eid-al-Fitr. A busy service marked the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month.
N.B. Power cannot reasonably expect its customers to absorb annual price increases that are well above the rate of inflation and should have its request for a 4.75 per cent increase in the coming year reduced, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board was told on Friday.
Rodger Brulotte, renowned sports commentator and voice of the Montreal Expos, has died. He was 79.