For Canada Games Council CEO Kelly-Ann Paul, the timing of Air Canada’s strike was nothing short of "surreal."

Air Canada grounded thousands of flights last Saturday when its flight attendants went on strike, disrupting the Canada Games in St. John’s, N.L., which run Aug. 8-25 with teenage athletes from across the country flying in and out throughout.

Organizers put a contingency plan in place, arranging charter flights for teams from Ontario and Quebec after their schedules were disrupted. About 130 major technical officials from across the country also had to be flown in the same way, while athletes finishing competition in the opening week headed home, and the next wave arrived for the following week

"It's been a significant obstacle," Paul said. "The Canada Games are complex enough

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