Sandra Potter

Having had a love of travel as long as I can remember, it was natural that I went into the travel business as a secretary over 50 years ago. I soon progressed to being a travel agent which nearly stopped when almost my first call was for a ticket to Lubumbashi – not only had I never heard of Lubumbashi, but I didn’t even known which continent it was on. Those were the days prior to computers and everything had to be looked up in enormous manuals and booked over the telephone.

However, I learnt quickly and it was not long before my first trip to Canada which I instantly fell in love with.  I moved there in 1972 for two extraordinarily happy years I travelled all over the country working in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.  After my return to the UK, I had the opportunity to start selling holidays to Canada. I leapt at it and Frontier’s story started with an 8-page brochure featuring ski holidays to Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Whistler.  40 clients the first year, 80 the next and then suddenly we were up and away.  It was all very exciting.  These days I spend more time in the garden, taking my dog into the local hospice where he is a huge hit and, of course, travelling.

I am often asked what is my favourite bit of Canada.  It is a very hard question to answer as I have been to all 10 provinces and 2 of the 3 territories.  I usually answer the West Coast as I love the rugged coastline, the wildlife and the lifestyle of both the cities of Vancouver and Victoria. However, that would leave out the charms of Quebec, the seafood and people of Nova Scotia and the wild terrain of Newfoundland not to speak of the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountains.