By Michael Baginski/ One of the true characters of the Canadian travel industry has died. Duncan Bureau reportedly had a heart attack Dec. 2 in Mexico, age 58. Having started his career at Greyhound Bus Lines, he was most recently chief commercial officer at the Farenexus travel services company.
But he was best known for his roles as one of WestJet’s start-up “cowboys” who helped put the airline on the map, and at Air Canada and later as president of Air Canada Rouge; more recently, Canada Jetlines.
Along the way Bureau also worked at Canadian Airlines, Air Miles, and abroad at Etihad and Malaysia Airlines, the latter when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished without a trace, sparking one of aviation’s most baffling mysteries. Bureau once told me that it was one of the most difficult periods of his career.
Duncan didn’t drink, which is just as well because he was outrageously funny sober. Once, while accompanying him through the bowels of the Rogers Centre on his way to throw the first pitch at a Blue Jays game, he left an overwhelmed security guard (and me) in stitches by insisting, when there was no threat of such, that he really ought to be searched before heading onto the field.
Nevertheless, he was a straight shooter and tough task masker in the office and earned the respect to be recruited to speak at a United Nations summit, contribute to a published work, and be given multiple industry acknowledgements over the years.
“Duncan is a visionary, genuine leader who wears his eccentricities on his sleeves. He brings so much positive energy to the table that you just cannot help but feel good around him. He is the only person I know who has gone through both the Malaysia Airlines’ crises and then COVID-19 and come out stronger each time,” said author Shashank Nigam, CEO of aviation marketing firm SimpliFlying.
Born in South Africa, Bureau attended university in Lethbridge, Alta. He was a devoted father. And he will be missed.
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