"Everyone has really enjoyed working with Maurice, General Manager & President of Canadian Propeller. He is so pleasant to work with. Canadian Propeller is accurate in their estimates and very accommodating. They do a good all round job," said Keith Olson, former Operations Manager of Skyward Aviation. This sentiment is echoed by customers from northwest Ontario to British Columbia.

So how did Canadian Propeller get its start? In 1991 partners in marriage, Debbie and Maurice Wills, became partners in business. Debbie, who had a certificate in business administration and Maurice, an AME who 17 years experience in propeller maintenance, decided to set up their own business. Scary stuff to do in the depths of a depression. But they felt it was the right time to take the chance. They were young, had no children and were bursting with energy. Besides, Maurice and Debbie had always wanted to run their own business.

Maurice Wills

"I had been working summers while at high school at Western Propeller in Winnipeg and after graduation I worked full time for them." He started off in High School in the automotive section and then moved to the propeller area. "I prefer props. They are cleaner than cars," he explained. In 1985, the owners, asked him to move from the back end to the front end. As manager, Maurice enjoyed the responsibility of seeking out new customers and taking care of them. The company did well with Maurice in charge. "We ran out of room. I ended up building a state-of-the art new building at another location." However, the challenge was gone and Maurice decided it was time to set up his own facility .

They wrote a business plan, put the financing together and rented premises. Even though they were short of funds, they managed to get the necessary equipment. A lot of people had faith in them.

"Bob May, of Keewatin Air, gave us a great deal of work right at the start. Mark Wehrle, Vice President of Perimeter Airlines, was very supportive and had confidence in us. And Bearskin Airlines also came over right away. 'Can you handle this?' Bearskin asked. We said  Yes."

In 1991 Canadian Propeller opened its doors on Brooklyn Street with 2200 square feet and three employees: Maurice and Debbie and Maurice's father, Ron Wills, who also had spent a lifetime at Western Propeller. The plan was for Debbie to handle the office and bookwork and for Maurice and his father look after the technical end. That did not last long.

"We had lots of work and had to hire two more experienced propeller technicians right away," recalled Maurice. "Initially we worked 17-18 hours a day, seven days a week. We did everything. We had no time for sleep."

However, first they had to scramble to write a company maintenance control manual and meet the audit to obtain Transport Canada's approval---necessary to provide commercial work. They were one of the first in Canada to be given approval under the new AMO system. Next they turned to Hartzell Propeller, a major American propeller manufacturer with a history dating back to 1875 in Ohio and one of the most respected names in the propeller industry.

Maurice had already built a good rapport with Hartzell, who had no qualms certifying

Canadian Propeller Ltd. as a Recommended Repair Facility for Hartzell. Why not?

Canadian Propeller had the inventory, training, tooling & experience to successfully repair and overhaul the propeller assemblies & components that constituted Hartzell's

product line. Canadian Propeller is also a McCauley Authorized Propeller Service Station. These were prime recommendations for a fledgling company.

Now the scope of work ranges from Cessna 150's, Otters and Beavers, to Metros and Beech 1900's. "We now do military work through Standard Aero. We do everything from a fixed pitch to a composite," explained Maurice. Ninety percent of their works comes from outside Winnipeg.

Canadian Propeller has grown each year. Very quickly they moved into a second bay and now occupy 7400 square feet and have eleven full time people. After 10 years they are ready to expand again. "We've outgrown this place. It's a good problem to have," commented Maurice.

Why has Canadian Propeller thrived? From talking with others and observing the facility, I would say it is because Maurice is the core of the company. Add to this a team of skilled employees, 24-hour knowledge available to customers, investment in equipment, attention to detail and a respect for budgets and deadlines. Canadian Prop delivers on time.

Maurice is quick to point out his staff and their expertise. Indeed Canadian Propeller's strength lies in its people. They have a real variety. AME's, NDT trained technicians, machinists and prop-trained people. Maurice puts into practice that smart business concept of maximizing three precious resources: people, time and technology. He is also acutely aware that it is trust and referrals that attract and build his client basis. As I saw first hand, he gives his customers comfort and assurance.

As I sat and visited with them, I was struck by Debbie's passion and enthusiasm and Maurice's quiet assurance and dedication to excellence. It was visible in many ways. The day I was there a doctor was in from the North with a damaged prop. He needed his plane to see patients. Canadian Propeller was working hard to get the prop repaired and Maurice was returning after hours to see the job finished so that the doctor would have less than 24 hours down time on the prop. Although they devoted themselves to my questions, I noticed Maurice keeping an eye on the progress of the doctor's prop. 

I walked through the two shop areas, one for reworking and the other for assembly. It was the employees and not Maurice who explained what they were doing. I should mention that I showed up with little notice---Our meeting was actually scheduled for two days later. Behind the equipment I saw the expertise and care that have been Canadian Propeller's trademarks from day one. Their staff include a number of long-term people in the industry who care about the quality of work they produce. Maurice believes in keeping his people up-to-date and sends his staff for training sessions. After all, equipment is equipment but it is the people who make the difference.

When a prop is brought in Canadian Propeller produces a work order package which tracks the prop's components throughout the overhaul process, from start to finish. Every step of overhaul is carefully monitored. This allows Maurice to maintain high quality control. Staff walked me through the procedures. When a prop is brought in, perhaps bent, nicked or out of time, it is dismantled and the paint stripped off. A decision must be made right off whether to rework or scrap the blades---the most expensive part of the assembly.

With much experience working with props, Gerry explained how he assessed a damaged prop and how he went about the repairs. I discovered that reconditioning blades is an art. He showed me how just enough must be filed to remove any nicks but not so much that the blade is sacrificed . The idea is to "get completely to the bottom of any nick so that there can be no stress riser that can later cause blade failure." I learned that there are blade minimum dimensions and if too much is filed off, it must be replaced. "You can't learn this from a book. It is experience," commented

Notes are made on the work order regarding the general condition in which the prop was received. The unit is disassembled and cleaned and given preliminary inspection. Those parts requiring overhaul are recorded. What stuck in my mind were the double checks and triple checks processes that Canadian Propeller did. "That way it's a fail safe thing and nothing is going out the door that is not safe," explained Gerry.

I went through each part of the shop and spoke to those in charge. I learned about the grinding procedure, face and edge alignment and how to inspect for the hidden corrosion. I peered at the Optical Comparator machine, Cold Rolling Machine (for the mandatory procedure of cold rolling) and the Magnetic Particle machine for magnetic particle inspection (MPI) to locate flaws in steel parts. AME and NDT expert Bryon Duncan explained the Liquid Inspection dye, rinse and oven cycle and the Non Destructive Testing (NDT) of the prop and hub. The propeller then proceeds to the assembly, balancing and completion with a final quality control check.

Bryon Duncan

Also on staff are John , who has over 20 years in propeller and governor experience and David Richens, one of Canada's longest propeller industry people. David has been assembling and trouble shooting propellers for over 30 years, 10 of those years with Canadian Propeller.

John Veroba

There is also Robert McGeachy who also brings a wealth of propeller experience and technology to Canadian Propeller.

Rob McGeachy

Originally, the name Canadian Propellers goes back in Canadian aviation history to the 1930s---Pratt & Whitney of Montreal. Today's Canadian Propeller is a first generation company, like many of the first generation companies they serve.

Maurice is active in the industry; a member of numerous organizations such as the Central AME Association, Manitoba Aerospace, W APA, Flying Farmers and assists non profit organizations such as the Western Canada Aviation Museum and the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum to name just a few.

Now Maurice & Debbie are the successful owners and managers of Canadian Propeller, a company which is committed to taking care of its customers and building relationships that will endure. "Our customers feel like an extension of our business and we take pride in dealing with them," said Maurice.