Atik Mason Indigenous Pilot Pathway to bring pilot training opportunity to Thompson

Indigenous students in Thompson, Manitoba will have the opportunity to pursue pilot training through a new program offered by the Exchange Income Corporation (EIC). The Atik Mason Indigenous Pilot Pathway aims to increase the number of Indigenous commercial pilots in the North. EIC will bring in training aircraft, flight instructors, and maintenance staff so that students can complete their pilot studies without leaving the community of Thompson, and candidates will be provided with remedial support if necessary. The Association of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) will identify potential candidates for the program. “I am really ecstatic that we have the opportunity to engage our young people in such a unique program,” said Garrison Settee, grand chief of MKO. “Allowing Indigenous people to be part of an aviation program like this is something that has never really been pursued to this magnitude. I think it’s huge.”