THUNDER BAY / NISHNAWBE ASKI NATION — Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Chiefs of Ontario have released a documentary highlighting conditions at remote First Nations airports across northern Ontario, arguing that outdated infrastructure is preventing emergency medical flights from landing and putting lives at risk.
The film focuses on airstrips that serve communities with no permanent road access. Leaders say short runways, poor lighting, limited navigation equipment, and inadequate maintenance mean that medevac aircraft are frequently unable to land, especially in poor weather or at night. When that happens, patients must be moved by other means or wait for conditions to improve, adding hours or days to critical care timelines.
NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and other leaders have called on both the federal and provincial governments to treat the issue as an emergency. They point to repeated cases in which patients with serious injuries, strokes, or pregnancy complications could not be evacuated by air because the local runway did not meet the requirements of the aircraft or the weather. In some instances, crews have had to divert to larger centres and then arrange secondary transport, stretching already limited resources.
The problem is not new. Remote airports in the northwest and far north have long operated with gravel or short paved surfaces, basic lighting, and weather stations that do not always provide the real-time data pilots need. Federal programs have funded some upgrades over the years, but leaders say the pace has not matched the need. Many of the communities involved are also dealing with aging health facilities and chronic shortages of local medical staff, so the airport becomes the single point of failure for emergency care.
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and the federal government share responsibility for different aspects of northern aviation infrastructure. The province has previously announced funding for runway improvements and navigational aids at selected sites, but NAN and the Chiefs of Ontario say the allocations have been insufficient and the timelines too slow. They are asking for a dedicated capital program that would bring a defined list of remote airports up to a standard that allows consistent medevac operations in the conditions the region actually experiences.
The documentary also notes the broader economic effects. When emergency flights are cancelled or diverted, the same limitations affect the movement of supplies, construction materials, and personnel. Communities that already face high costs for everything that has to be flown in see those costs rise further when aircraft cannot use the local strip.
No new funding announcement has been tied to the documentary’s release. Federal and provincial officials have previously acknowledged the condition of remote airports as a long-standing challenge, but leaders say the gap between acknowledgement and action remains wide. The film is being circulated to both levels of government and to national media as part of a renewed push for a multi-year capital plan.
For residents of the remote communities, the practical test is simple: whether a medevac can land when it is needed. Until more of the runways can meet that test, the risk described by the leaders remains in place.
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