Partnership takes flight

Marten Falls is home to two of Wasaya Airway’s three successful Taking Flight pilot trainees.
Glen Achneepineskum has always dreamed of being a pilot while Rowena Moonias decided she wanted to be a pilot when she was 17 years old.
“It’s always been a lifetime career dream and finally it has become a success after so many years of sitting back doing nothing about it,” Achneepineskum said.
He was speaking during the April 1 celebration of the Wasaya-Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board (SLAAMB) Taking Flight: Northern Aboriginal Aviation Careers program at the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay.
“It feels wonderful and awesome to be able to fly,” he said.
Achneepineskum still needs to complete about 200 hours of training and flying time, about 80 hours of commercial ground school and a commercial flight test to obtain his commercial pilots licence.
He said it would take about 12-15 months to complete his training at Harv’s Air Pilot Training in Steinbach, Man.
Moonias has already completed her commercial and multi-engine ratings and is currently working with Wasaya Airways in Pickle Lake while awaiting her opportunity to be a pilot.
Wasaya partnered with SLAAMB in 2008 to provide training positions for 31 people as pilots, management trainees, sheet metal apprentices and aircraft maintenance engineers.
“Not only did the Taking Flight program turn out to be an extremely successful endeavor for Wasaya and our partners, but it was also a fabulous learning experience,” said Wasaya CEO and president Tom Morris. “It is our hope that we can continue with similar initiatives to employ more First Nation individuals and provide them with the training and support they need to be successful members of the workforce, whether their future lies with careers within the Wasaya Group of companies or elsewhere in our region.”
The Taking Flight program concluded March 31 with about 70 per cent of the trainees being retained as full-time Wasaya employees.
Among those retained were Sonny Mamakwa, Kerry Wabange and Lloyd Meekis.
Mamakwa’s highlight during his training experience was helping Elders who don’t speak English.
“I was able to talk to them in their language and help them all the way through with their shipments,” Mamakwa said, adding the Elders appreciated having an Anishinabemowin-speaking cargo agent to deal with at Wasaya.
Wabange’s goal is to recruit First Nations people for employment at Wasaya.
“I want to get out there in the First Nations and help people who were in my position and don’t have employment,” Wabange said. “I’m a single parent of two boys and I’ve always wanted to work for Wasaya Airways. I saw the Wasaya logo one day and I knew this is the company that I wanted to work for.”
Meekis didn’t believe he would make it through the Taking Flight program at the beginning because he thought 18 months was too long a program.
“Today I am not a guinea pig, that’s for sure,” Meekis, who is now an assistance station manager with Wasaya, said.
Meekis believes in giving his all to his work, noting customer service is very important to Wasaya.
“I would like to serve as best as I can,” Meekis said.