Baynish

🇨🇦 The Billionaire Who Loved Flying With Canada's Prime Minister Met the head of a luxury in-flight catering company at a hotel in Toronto. I asked him whether the airline catering business was profitable. He smiled. “Depends who’s flying.” I said, “Business class passengers?” He laughed. “Think bigger.” “Private jets?” “Bigger.” “Billionaires?” He shook his head. “Politicians.” I was confused. He pulled out his phone and showed me a government spending report. “Between March 2025 and March 2026, flights carrying Prime Minister Mark Carney and his entourage recorded nearly $963,000 in catering costs.” I nearly spilled my coffee. “NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? FOR AIRPLANE CATERING?” He nodded. “That’s the reported bill.” I asked what they were eating. He showed me menus reported from one international trip. Beef tenderloin. Truffle risotto. Veal escalope. Salmon. Crème brûlée. Chocolate mousse. I stared at him. “Are they flying Air Canada or operating a Michelin-starred restaurant at 35,000 feet?” He laughed. I pulled out Canada’s 2026 Food Price Report. “An average family of four is expected to spend $17,572 on food this year.” He nodded. “So?” “That $963,000 catering bill is equivalent to the annual food budget of almost 55 Canadian families.”📌 “Interesting comparison.” “That’s 220 people eating for an entire year!” He ordered another espresso. I asked how airplane catering could possibly cost so much. “You’re not just paying for the food. There’s handling, delivery, storage, security, airport charges, waste disposal and other costs.” “So it’s not just the Prime Minister’s personal dinner?” “Of course not. These are delegation-wide expenses.” Fair enough. But then I asked the question that bothered me. “Shouldn’t a government constantly asking Canadians to be patient about affordability demonstrate restraint with public money?” He put down his cup. “That’s a question for the people approving the spending.” The next morning, I watched another speech about building a more affordable Canada. Then I checked my grocery receipt. $94. Two bags. No truffle risotto. No crème brûlée. Not even complimentary peanuts. And suddenly, I remembered something. Ordinary Canadians are calculating whether they can afford beef this week. Ottawa is being asked to explain six-figure catering bills on official flights. One family is comparing prices at No Frills. The other is representing Canada at 35,000 feet. I always thought the most expensive meal in Canada was at a luxury restaurant. Apparently, some of the most interesting restaurant bills arrive without the restaurant. And the customer paying the bill never even gets a seat at the table. 🇨🇦