After decades working at YSJ, Julie Drummond and Marsha Brannen have seen just about everything.
After decades spent on the front lines of aviation security, Julie Drummond and Marsha Brannen have seen just about everything at Saint John Airport.
Between them, they’ve logged more than 50 years of service – Marsha beginning her career in April 1995 and Julie joining in April 2002. Both retired on March 1 from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.
For both women, the work was about far more than procedures and protocols.
“It was one big family,” Marsha says. “From upstairs to downstairs, everybody knew each other. If something was going on at home, people cared. Everybody helped each other.”
Julie shares that perspective. Over the years, she saw the role evolve alongside the broader changes in air travel, but the core responsibility remained the same – helping ensure every passenger begins their journey safely and with confidence.
That human side of the job extended to travellers as well.
Every day brought new situations – from excited vacationers to families navigating more difficult moments.
Marsha recalls the emotional range that passed through the screening line.
“Some people are travelling for good reasons, and some aren’t,” she says. “You see kids upset, parents upset. You feel that. But you still have to stay professional and help them through it.”
Over time, many of those interactions turned into lasting connections.
“We’ve known some passengers for years,” Marsha says. “You watch their families grow, and they watch yours. You become friends.”
For Julie, that sense of familiarity was part of what made the job so meaningful.
“You get to know people,” she says. “Your co-workers, your regular travellers – it becomes a community.”
At an airport like YSJ, where the travel experience is shaped as much by people as by infrastructure, long-serving team members like Julie and Marsha play an important role. They are often the first interaction passengers have – setting the tone for the journey ahead.
As they head into retirement, they leave behind more than years of service. They leave a legacy of care, professionalism and quiet confidence that has helped thousands of travellers start their journeys on the right foot.
