A major lifeline now hovers in the sky over Georgian Bay between Christian Island and Cedar Point
With all eyes looking up on Friday, a drone buzzing Sparrow left its mainland pole to pass over the relatively calm waters of Georgian Bay before landing on its island base
The multi-partner project is expected to greatly assist isolated communities like the Beausoleil First Nation not only during the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also when the weather turns colder and rough waters and possibly ice make the trip by ferry even more difficult
A similar drone operation will be launched next week involving the Chippewas of Georgina Island with funding from the federal government
« It has a range of 30 kilometers one way and can support 10 pounds of payload, » said Michael Zahra, president and CEO of Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) in Vaughan, noting that it was the first once a project like this has been launched in Canada
The payload allows the electric drone to transport COVID-related medical and hygiene supplies, mail, important documents and other items relatively inexpensively and with minimal person-to-person contact
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In addition, given that the Beausoleil First Nation and its 750 residents do not have a COVID-19 assessment center, an island nurse will be able to perform tests and send the samples by air for testing.
« We really appreciate the opportunity you have brought to our community, » Monague said, adding that no one knows what the next few months or 2021 will look like, given that Canada appeared to flatten the COVID-19 curve, but now faces a discouraging influx
« This is an important part in the event of our ferry service breaking down. Supplying the island has always been a challenge »
Besides Zahra’s business, the initiative overseen by GlobalMedic cost around $ 300,000 to start up. This also involves support from Air Canada, the Pontiac Group and the OEC Group (Canada), which is a financial contributor. major and global provider of logistics services serving customers across all major industries including aerospace, healthcare, global retail, automotive and manufacturing
« It’s about taking something that we really believe in and helping the community, » said Landon Bibeau, OEC Group Marketing Director
“DDC and OEC were looking for an opportunity to partner When the opportunity arose to help the community of the Beausoleil First Nation, it was an easy decision to make”
Adds Zahra: « It’s a very good Canadian story The First Nations community did not have to pay anything »
GlobalMedic Executive Director Rahul Singh was excited about what this could mean for disaster relief / humanitarian agencies like his that are involved around the world
« This is great for the whole country and there are global implications too, » said Singh, whose charity is run by the David McAntony Gibson Foundation. »We are delighted to help the community here, to take the lessons learned and use them (elsewhere) We have carried out 223 missions in 73 countries and helped 36 million beneficiaries »
« It is important to use it for several reasons, » said Zahra, who noted that some indigenous communities are relatively isolated and often have poor health care infrastructure, coupled with increased rates of diabetes. , tuberculosis and obesity
“We want to keep the supply chain open and drones are great for that,” he said “The drone works automatically We have an operations control center in Vaughn to monitor it from there It can fly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year or on demand «
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York Region
World news – CA – York Region company’s drones provide lifeline to remote Indigenous communities (7 photos)
