Air Canada apologizes for memo; Bulletin cited fears about downtown Winnipeg

Air Canada says it didn't mean to offend anyone in a memo about the airline's decision to stop using downtown Winnipeg hotels for crew layovers.

"It appears certain inferences are being drawn from the contents of a recent internal bulletin relating to accommodation for flight crews on overnight layover in Winnipeg," Peter Fitzpatrick said Monday in an email to The Canadian Press. "Air Canada wishes to state categorically it had no intent to cause offence to any individual or group and apologizes if it inadvertently did so."

The internal bulletin said employees will be staying at a hotel closer to the airport because of security concerns downtown and noted that 1,000 displaced people from rural Manitoba are staying in hotels in Winnipeg's core. Many of the displaced were from First Nations that were flooded last spring.

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Derek Nepinak says it was racist of Air Canada to make such a link. "To attribute any community of people as posing an increased risk of violence or criminal activity is racist," he said.

The Canadian Press