A group of Hope Air volunteers flew into La Ronge to share their story, meet with community members and tour the La Ronge Tanker base, as a bonus.
Doug McNair, captain for the Prairie Expedition of the Canada-wide Give Hope Wings Expedition.
The Give Hope Wings Expedition is geared to raise awareness and raise funds for Hope Air, a national “charity providing travel support through flights, accommodations, meal vouchers, and ground transportation to Canadians in financial need, who must travel to reach medical care far from home,” quoted from a Hope Air news release.
More than 30 planes took to the skies between June 5 to 23 as volunteer pilots shared the Hope Air story in various communities across the country
McNair said he encountered Hope Air in Vancouver and though it was not well known in his native Saskatchewan. He responded when a email arrived asking him to organize something for the Prairie leg of the journey.
His partner in the expedition, Rupert Robbin, moved to Canada from Europe a few years ago. He was surprised to learn that health care is not available to everyone equally in Canada.
“I lived in Europe until about five years ago. You just completely take it for granted there that you can go a short taxi ride or bus trip and get any medical specialist care that you could find in the dictionary basically. My Canadian wife has been telling me for about 35 years that Canada was a wonderful place to come and live, so I was quite surprised when I was taken on the Hope Air expedition with this bunch of pilots and learnt that there is a huge inequity in the cost of actually getting to and from health care in Canada,” he said.
Hope Air has agreements with airline carriers and hotel chains and other resources to provide the opportunities for people.
People just need only phone the Hope Air number 1-877-346-4673 Monday to Friday between 7 am and 5:30 Saskatchewan time and Hope Air “will manage all the administration” Robbin said.
The Prairie Expedition started off in Regina, then they travelled on to Brandon, Man., Winnipeg, Thompson, Man. and La Ronge. From La Ronge they will travel to Prince Albert, Fort MacMurray, Villeneuve, near Edmonton, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, and back to Regina.
“That will be 12 communities in six days … 12 flights,” McNair said.
Since its inception in 2017, Hope Air has raised more than $1.8 million and provided 5,145 “travel arrangements” for Canadians.
More information on Hope Air is available online at hopeair.ca
