James Reszitnyk

Imagine the quantities of food, clothing, hardware, building materials, gasoline, heating fuel, boats, motors, snowmobiles, medical supplies, school and office supplies that are required to meet the needs of over 25 communities with populations of 500 to 4,000 people. Now imagine having to air transport all of the supplies in to these communities whom do not have road access to southern markets, suppliers and manufacturers. Enter Wasaya Airways LP ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᓭᐎᐣ. Incorporated by Wasaya Corporation (now Wasaya Group Inc) in 1989 for a requesting group of Northwestern Ontario First Nations, whose purpose was to acquire controlling interest in what was known as Kelner Airways. In the fall of 1998, Wasaya Airways purchased the remaining common shares and this enabled Wasaya Corporation to hold 100 % ownership of Wasaya Airways LP, thus making it 100% First Nation owned. The founding First Nation owner communities of Wasaya Airways LP are: Bearskin Lake First Nation Kasabonika Lake First Nation Kingfisher Lake First Nation Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation Muskrat Dam First Nation Nibinamik First Nation Pikangikum First Nation Wapekeka First Nation Wunnumin Lake First Nation Wasaya means “rising sun” in the Oji-cree dialect and the logo of Wasaya Airways, which depicts a sunburst with eight sunrays, represents each owner community.