Hope Air pilots view a CL-215T aircraft, one of six owned by the SPSA. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

charity

Hope Air expedition makes stops in La Ronge, Prince Albert

Jun 20, 2023 | 4:44 PM

Representatives with Hope Air were in La Ronge and Prince Albert on Tuesday as part of the sixth annual Give Hope Wings expedition.

Hope Air is a national charity providing travel support through flights, accommodations, meal vouchers and ground transportation to Canadians in financial need, who must travel to reach medical care far from home. From June 5-23, pilots are following three routes in Western Canada, the Prairies, and Eastern Canada with a goal of raising $600,000.

“Hope Air is out of Ontario and they have been quite active since 1986 in Ontario, B.C. and to some extent in Saskatchewan and the Prairies,” said Prairie Expedition captain Doug McNair.

“I don’t think they are as well known in the Prairies, so one of the goals of the Prairie Expedition is to raise awareness of Hope Air in Western Canada.”

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The pilots representing Hope Air left Regina on June 18 and have made stops in Brandon, Winnipeg, The Pas and Thompson, Manitoba. They reached La Ronge on Tuesday, where they met with the mayor, as well as members of business and the media. The La Ronge stop also included a tour of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s La Ronge Tanker Base.

The expedition will reach Prince Albert at about 5 p.m. before moving on to Fort McMurry, Villeneuve, Calgary and finally Lethbridge, Alta. The tour will end Friday with a return trip to Regina.

Hope Air pilots outside the La Ronge Airport terminal. (submitted photo/Rainer Richter)

“I think Hope Air wants to go where there is a need and I think there is a need in the province to provide to those who need assistance to get to a medical appointment,” McNair said.

“Maybe it’s a situation where you might have been taken in an emergency to another community, perhaps Saskatoon or P.A., and you need to get home and there’s no convenient way to get home except perhaps through air travel and sometimes that can be expensive. Hope Air might be able to help out in a situation like that.”

Individuals can donate to the non-profit at hopeair.ca. McNair noted Hope Air has several national and regional sponsors, as well as special arrangements with hotel chains and airlines off all sizes. He added Hope Air arranges thousands of flights every year.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno