‘Awesome’ week at aviation camp

Kingfisher Lake’s Kevin Winter enjoyed flying in the flight simulator during Wasaya Airways 3rd Annual Aviation Camp.
“It’s a virtual world,” Winter said. “You get to fly the plane. You can pick any kind and fly around anywhere you want.”
Winter picked the Beech 1900 as the aircraft he flew in the flight simulator.
“It’s kind of cool to fly,” Winter said.
Winter was one of about 30 First Nations youth from a number of Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities who attended the aviation camp Aug. 9-13 at Confederation College’s Aviation School of Excellence. The Wasaya Group, Shibogama First Nations Council and the Kenney Family Foundation funded the camp to introduce youth to potential opportunities in the aviation industry.
After completing an “awesome” week of activities at the aviation camp, Kasabonika Lake’s Ken Anderson is now considering training at the Aviation School of Excellence when he finishes high school.
“Maybe I’ll come here after I’m done high school,” Anderson said. “I’ll probably (train) as an engineer.”
Wasaya Airway’s Tom Morris said it is important to encourage more First Nations people in the aviation field.
“I think aviation is a good field for our First Nations people to get involved to become pilots and AMEs (aircraft mechanical/avionics engineers),” Morris said, explaining that Wasaya’s purpose for holding the annual aviation camps is to encourage youth to pursue a career in aviation when they graduate from high school.
“Somewhere down the line when one of these youth finish Grade 12, they will say ‘Oh, I went to this camp that was sponsored by Wasaya Airways. Now I want to go to Confederation College to the Aviation (School) of Excellence and I want to become a pilot or I want to become an AME.’”
Morris said the only Aboriginal pilot currently employed at Wasaya Airways, Donnie Macklin, worked his way up from the loading ramp all the way up to chief pilot.
“This is a good tool for us to hopefully get kids interested in aviation in the area, get them educated and get them into our portfolio so we can keep people employed in the North who want to be in the North and long-term players for Wasaya Airways,” said Macklin, a Peguis First Nation band member who grew up in Pickle Lake. “I started out on the ground, on the ramp in Pickle Lake, and worked my way up through all the pilot positions we offer and I’ve been chief pilot for about four years.”
Macklin said there is plenty of opportunity within Wasaya Airways.
“There is a huge potential for growth with Wasaya,” Macklin said. “Unfortunately, being based where we are, not a lot of people see us as a long-term (career). When a young pilot takes his training, it’s to fly the big fancy jets out of Toronto.”
Macklin said Wasaya Airways understands that situation, but they try to provide a nice family-based environment that allows people to grow and get ahead in life.
“The opportunities are there for movement, for growth, for education and to make a life-time career out of this,” Macklin said.
Rachel Mamakwa, a chaperone from Wunnumin Lake, was impressed with the knowledge shared by speakers during the aviation camp.
“I found it very interesting,” Mamakwa said. “We try to provide them (youth) opportunities to experience a lot of facts.”
Paul Kenney, executive director of the Kenney Family Foundation, said his family’s foundation is focused on Aboriginal education in Canada.
“It’s the largest growing demographic in Canada,” Kenney said. “Youth are a huge resource that have to be used in the Canadian economy, and especially in the Aboriginal economy in growing these economies.”
Kelley said the goal is to inspire Aboriginal youth to choose the right courses going into Grade 9 and to achieve and get themselves to the Aviation School of Excellence.
“If you do that Stanley (Sainnawap) here will help you out,” Kenney said. “And Tom (Morris) will give you a job. Just make it through high school.”