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M&C Aviation with its own small fleet of aircraft in
order to develop the remote and sparsely populated
northern half of the province.
Saskatchewan Government Airways, as the new
By Will Crown corporation was called, lasted until 1966
Chabun when it was privatized and renamed Norcanair.
Richmond Mayson, 74 Squadron
Norcanair itself survived many adventures and
Richmond Mayson left us quite a legacy.
around 1987 was acquired by Time Air, a subsidiary
In the course of of Pacific Western Airlines -- but that is another
researching the aviation story.
history of the Canadian From 1947 onward, Mayson remained actively in
province of Saskatchewan,
the community and seems to have had a fascination
I recently found in the
with local history as he recorded many other
provincial archives a file aspects of history in his part of the province,
on the life of Mayson, an
including his civilian flying.
early aviation
entrepreneur here. Among Here's his memoir of flying during the First World
the items in it is a 15-page War:
typed account of his time On my arrival at 74 Squadron, in 1918, I was met by
with the Royal Air Force's the adjutant, who introduced me to the CO, Major
74 Squadron as a pilot late Caldwell. Then I had to go through the introduction
in the First World War. of about 15 pilots of the squadron.
References in this narrative suggest he joined it around To my great joy, I found two who were at one of the
September of 1918. same aerodromes in England as myself, so I was
Mayson emigrated to Canada at some point in the 1920s sure of being with friends. The reception they gave
and worked in insurance in Saskatoon. When an aero club me was very good, really. I began to feel rather
there was created in the late 1920s, he was an early and embarrassed and wonder if I was some crack pilot
enthusiastic member, serving as a flying instructor. In the or a new commander-in-chief.
early 1930s, he and a friend, Angus Campbell, set up a All the introductions over, I joined with them in
small flying service called M&C Aviation. It did dinner. When this was over, we all trouped into the
barnstorming, sightseeing and charter flying. anteroom, where I was initiated into the intricacies
of a social evening, which was really a musical
Around 1934, Mayson and Campbell realized that mining
exploration businesses had a need for air transportation evening, and much the same as we had every
into the Canadian north, so they moved their firm about evening. It was the only way to keep one’s spirits up
after a hard day’s fighting in the air.
150 km northeast to the small city of Prince Albert,
Saskatchewan, from which they began flying charter and, Anyone wishing to be rude might say it sounded like
later, scheduled flights. Their firm did well and during the a house of hooligans, or sound as though the war
Second World War operated a subsidiary that overhauled was over. But really, it was not so. Our pianist
training aircraft used by the British Commonwealth Air would sit down before the piano or be forced there
Training Plan, the Canadian branch of the Empire Air very quickly by half-a-dozen big and honourable
Training Scheme. men of the Royal Air Force (thank you for the
Campbell died of natural causes during the Second World compliment.)
War, but Mayson retained ownership of their company Then would begin a most wonderful assortment of
until 1947, when he agreed to sell it to the provincial song, starting off with “There’s an Old-Fashioned
government of Saskatchewan, which wanted to “mate” House” and going on to “Me and My Gal”, then
“Dixie” and back again to a sentimental songs like
