Elsie MacGill Awards Honour Top Canadian Women in Aviation

Joy Parker Blackwood of the Northern Lights Foundation, award-winner
Jasmine Stevens, and Murray
Strom, VP of Flight Operations at Air Canada.

Air Canada introduced a new Indigenous award for male and female students enrolled in post-secondary aviation programs. Called the Indspire Awards. Jasmine Stevens is from Eskasoni First Nation in Nova Scotia.

Pictured here (R to L): Dr. Suzanne Kearns, Education, Maj Alexia Hannam, RCAF, Flight Operations, Kathrine Stewart, Government, Taylor Williams, accepting the Business Award for mother Wendy Taylor, Lyndsey Poynter, Engineering, Capt Mary Cameron-Kelly, RCAF, Pioneer, Lauren Egglestone, Rising Star, Dr. Joelle Thorgrimson, Rising Star, Joy Parker Blackwood, President, Elsie MacGill Northern Lights at the gala event on the evening of Sept. 28. Andy Cline Photo

The presentation began with special awards for young Indigenous women starting their careers in aviation. Jazz and Northern Lights jointly sponsor an award for two recipients, presented by Jazz vice-president of Flight Operations, Steve Linthwaite. The scholarships went to Doris Ipeelee, a student at the First Nations Technical Institute, who was inspired as a child when an RCAF helicopter landed at her elementary school on Canada Day. Another FNTI student, Zoie Michelin from North West River in Labrador, received the other award.

For more information about the organization, awards, and recipients, check out this Skies Magazine article!

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