Fort Severn joins Wasaya Airways ownership group

Fort Severn First Nation has become the 11th community shareholder of Wasaya Airways LP by joining the company as a full partner. The announcement came Oct. 28 at a press conference in Thunder Bay, where two other ventures – Wasaya Trucking and Wasaya Dowland Contracting – were also added to the Wasaya Group of companies.
“We are proud to be an avid supporter of First Nation business and economic development,” Tom Morris, CEO of Wasaya Airways, said. “We are thrilled that Fort Severn First Nation is joining the group as they truly complement our organization’s mission, vision and values.”
Fort Severn will also obtain observer status with the other Wasaya Group companies and may exercise a participate option anytime over the next two years.
“The addition of Fort Severn to the Wasaya shareholders is very, very welcome and helps to strengthen the area First Nations’ pursuit of common goals such as commerce, education and training through the variety of career paths that are available within the Wasaya Group,” Hezekiah Sakakeep, chair of Wasaya Group Inc., said.
Wasaya Airways is northern Ontario’s only regionally owned airline. The other Wasaya owner communities include Bearskin Lake, Kasabonika Lake, Kingfisher Lake, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Muskrat Dam, Nibinamik, Pikangikum, Wapekeka, Wunnumin Lake and Keewaywin First Nations.
The new trucking venture Wasaya Ohteban LP Trucking is a joint partnership between Wasaya Group Inc. and Morgan Transfer. The partnership was established for the transfer of winter road fuels to northern First Nation communities. It allows the Wasaya owner communities to participate in the ownership and management side of the trucking business.
“Wasaya Group Inc. has explored establishing a trucking business for many years,” said Tom Kamenawatamin, president and CEO of Wasaya Group. “That is because a trucking business has long been identified as an excellent fit for our remote communities to participate in. This venture will lead to new training and career opportunities for our community members.”
Kamenawatamin said as the trucking business progresses, the company will look at other ground transportation opportunities. The new venture also hopes to train community members to be truck drivers to stimulate economic and job development in the north.
“The best people to be out on the winter roads are the community members themselves because they know the land,” Darrell Morgan, manager of Morgan Transfer said.
Dowland Contracting Ltd has also partnered with Wasaya to form Wasaya Dowland Contracting to provide construction capacity to communities in northern Ontario as well as servicing the infrastructure needs of growing First Nation communities. These include mine site construction, hydro transmission lines, hospitals, hotels, ice hockey arenas and new schools.
“The new joint venture is good for the region’s First Nations and brings us expertise and capacity that were previously beyond the scope of our remote communities,” Kamenawatamin said.
Dowland president Patrick McGuinness hopes to see long-term benefits to First Nations through the partnership by providing training opportunities and apprenticeship programs for community members by “providing construction expertise to the Wasaya Group.”
Kamenawatamin added: “This new venture gives our people the opportunity to participate in these exciting areas, by gaining valuable experience and industry specific training that will lead to certification, and provide lifelong careers in the heavy construction industry.”