Wisk Air working with Matawa communities on helicopter services

Three Matawa communities have signed agreements with Wisk Air Helicopters to enable the communities to participate in helicopter services in their traditional territories.
“The relationship has been great,” said Eabametoong Councillor Charlie Okeese. “It continues to be, to us, more meaningful by showing mutual respect and the level of commitment shown by the actions of Wisk Air and that’s what we see - this is real.”
Eabametoong, Marten Falls and Webequie signed memorandums of agreement with Wisk Air that provide joint oversight for helicopter services in their traditional territories. The confidential agreements state that Wisk Air will foster engagement, respect and transparency while supplying services to industrial groups working on First Nation land.
“These agreements recognize that the rightful stakeholders and landholders, who are clearly the First Nations, are a vital component to the management and development of all projects in their region,” said Mark Wiskemann, president of Wisk Air.
Wisk Air has also agreed to provide training opportunities for Aboriginal youth, including sanctioned forest fire training, sanctioned drill training, and helicopter ground training.
The skills are transferable provincially and nationally to other helicopter and mining companies.
“We seek to engage and support these First Nations in order to bring prosperity to their communities,” Wiskemann said, noting he welcomes other First Nations to come to the table.
Wisk Air also has an agreement with the Red Rock band in the Lake Nipigon area and a partnership with a joint-venture Innu-owned company in Goose Bay, Labrador.
Wisk Air has been working in the Ring of Fire since 2007 and has been supplying helicopter services in northwestern Ontario for 32 years. They have been the sole supplier of helicopter services for major mining companies in the region and many junior companies within the Ring of Fire.