Category: News

MARKHAM, ONTARIO, December 28, 2019 – The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 12th Annual Awards Program. Each year, the national not-for-profit foundation honours outstanding Canadian women who have made a significant contribution to aviation or aerospace, and who continue to lay the ground work for other women to enter or excel in these industries.

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation’s Elsie MacGill Awards – “The Elsie” is named after aviation pioneer and human rights advocate Elsie Gregory MacGill, the world’s first female aircraft designer. MacGill graduated from the University of Toronto’s electrical engineering program in 1927 and later became pivotal in the design and production of the Hawker Hurricane in Canada during the Second World War. During her career, MacGill was appointed to the Canadian Royal Commission on the Status of Women, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

The Foundation is always working on new initiatives. 2018 brought the introduction of our Northern Lights Aero Foundation Mentorship Program, sponsored by Porter Airlines while 2019 brought the introduction of The Captain Judy Cameron Air Canada Scholarship.

The 2020 recipients will be selected by a judging panel comprised of industry experts and veterans, and will be honoured at the Elsie Awards gala in the Toronto area, in September at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel and Conference Centre.

To nominate an outstanding woman, or for more information about the Northern Lights Aero Foundation and sponsorship opportunities, visit: northernlightsaerofoundation.com.

Nominations submission deadline is March 31, 2020.

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About the Northern Lights Aero Foundation

 The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that recognizes outstanding Canadian women in aviation and aerospace. Its mission is to encourage women in Canada to succeed in careers in aviation and aerospace by: recognizing and celebrating the achievements of accomplished women; engaging in outreach, facilitating mentorship and providing scholarship opportunities. In support of the mission the Foundation inspires and encourages increased participation of women in these industries by: heightening the visibility of honourees as role models; promoting awareness of the vast opportunities in all sectors; and ensuring organizations recognize and benefit from women’s diverse and untapped talents.

 The Foundation’s national awards program, The Elsie, was established in 2009, and each year honours up to eight women for their contributions in specific aviation and aerospace disciplines. Award categories are: Flight Operations (civilian), Government, Business, Education, Pioneer, Engineering, and two Rising Stars.

Contact: Cathy Fraser, nominations@northernlightsaerofoundation.com

Additional information

Twitter: @NLAF09

Facebook.com/NorthernLightsAero

Instagram.com/northernlightsaero

October 3, 2019 – The 11th annual Elsie MacGill Northern Lights (EMNL) Awards Gala was another extravagant gathering of the aviation elite held in Markham, Ont., on Sept. 28. Eight distinguished women were honoured at the event, which has grown yet again with 430 guests in attendance.  Read the full article from Skies Magazine. 

MONTREAL, Sept. 30, 2019 – Air Canada on Saturday announced that it will establish the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship in honour of the airline’s first female pilot with the goal of helping the next generation of women follow in her trailblazing footsteps. The scholarship was announced at last night’s Elsie MacGill Award Gala in Toronto, the national award program of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation which recognizes and celebrates the achievements of accomplished women in aviation and aerospace.  Read the full press release from Air Canada. 

TORONTO, ONTARIO, May 23, 2019 – The Northern Lights Aero Foundation today announced the 2019 winners of its annual “Elsie” award, honouring Canadian women who have made outstanding contributions to aviation and aerospace.

“Our goal is to bring more recognition to women doing incredible work in aviation and aerospace in Canada,” says Joy Parker Blackwood, President of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. “This year’s winners are all role models for the next generation of women in these industries.”

Named after aviation pioneer and human rights advocate Elsie Gregory MacGill, the award recognizes eight women across seven categories: business, education, engineering, flight operations, government, pioneer and rising star.

The 2019 recipients are:

Business Award: Wendy Tayler – Wendy Tayler is the President and majority owner of Whitehorse-based Alkan Air. She established Northern Canada’s first aviation-business diploma program at Yukon College, where she has introduced northern youth to careers in aviation.

Education Award: Dr. Suzanne Kearns – Dr. Suzanne Kearns is an Associate Professor of Aviation at the University of Waterloo. Since becoming a pilot at the age of 17, she has earned her commercial multi-instrument pilot (fixed- and rotary-wing), a college diploma in helicopter flight training, a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science and a Master’s in Human Factors and Systems Engineering. She has devoted her career to aviation education through lecturing, guest speaking, publications and e-learning.

Engineering Award: Lyndsey Poynter – Lyndsey Poynter is currently project engineer for MDA, supporting projects for the International Space Station and the Kennedy Space Center. After developing an interest in space at an early age, Poynter went on to complete a degree in Space and Communications Sciences from York University. She has been the recipient of numerous awards from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

Flight Operations Award: Major Alexia Hannam – Major Hannam is a RCAF helicopter pilot and commanding officer of 417 Combat Support Squadron, based in Cold Lake, Alberta. She flew the Chinook for 40 combat missions in Afghanistan and was the detachment commander in Operation LENTUS during the Fort McMurray and British Columbia wildfires on Search and Rescue Griffon helicopters. She is a vocal advocate for the Forces and women in aviation.

Government Award: Kathrine Stewart – Kathrine Stewart is a regular Member Special Constable Helicopter pilot with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who provides search and rescue, mountain radio repeater access, aerial surveillance, border security, and pursuits and interception support to frontline RCMP members throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Her career has ranged from forest fire fighting, wildlife management to diamond exploration, seismic exploration and work in the Arctic. She has over 13,000 flight hours and is endorsed on 8 helicopter types.

Pioneer Award: Captain Mary Cameron-Kelly – Captain Cameron-Kelly was the first female Non-Commissioned Member to become a CP-140 Aurora pilot, captain of the first all-female CP-140 cockpit flight and first female Maritime Patrol Crew Commander. She has accumulated over 7200 flight hours with the military, making her the highest-time female pilot in the Canadian military, and has served as the crew commander for Operation Apollo, where she fought against terrorism in the Middle East. In 2007, she received the Women of Excellence for the Management and the Profession award.

Rising Star Award: Dr. Joelle Thorgrimson – Dr. Thorgrimson is a pilot, physician, physicist and future flight surgeon. She holds degrees in astrophysics, quantum computing and medicine, and has completed her private pilot’s license. Upon completion of her medical residency, she will be posted in Cold Lake, Alberta, where she will complete her flight surgeon training and work as a medical officer with the goal of pursuing aerospace medicine.

Rising Star Award: Lauren Egglestone – Lauren Egglestone graduated from Seneca College’s Bachelor of Flight Technology program in 2013. She started work for a small airline in Northern Manitoba the next day. She worked her way up from Assistant to the Chief Pilot, to First Officer, and ultimately Captain. Her flights included medevacs and scheduled routes in Northern Canada. Her northern adventure continued at Canadian North as first officer on the Dash-8, based in Yellowknife and Iqaluit. She recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot for Air Canada where she flies the B-737 MAX.

The 2019 gala awards dinner will be held on Saturday, September 28 at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel and Suites Conference Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Online ticket sales will begin in July.

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation “Elsie” Awards is in its eleventh year of celebrating women in Canada’s aerospace and aviation industries. Other initiatives of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation include a speakers’ bureau, mentorship program and a scholarship program. www.northernlightsaerofoundation.com

Media Contact: Anna Rusinowski

Email: communications@northernlightsaerofoundation.com

Cell: 289 834-0979

February 12, 2019 – NLAF has a mission to reach girls in all sectors of aviation and aerospace, a mission unlike any other organization in Canada. The group has positioned itself to be the central resource for a variety of programs designed to mentor young women during their aviation journey. It focuses on removing perceived barriers; promoting role models; educating the educators; supporting women in STEM fields; promoting the diverse, distinct and under-represented communities such as Indigenous and LGBTQ2; and providing scholarship funds.  Read the full article in Skies Magazine.

MARKHAM, ONTARIO, December 10, 2018 – The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 11th Annual Awards Program. Each year, the national not-for-profit foundation honours outstanding Canadian women who have made a significant contribution to aviation or aerospace, and who continue to lay the ground work for other women to enter or excel in these industries.

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation’s Elsie MacGill Awards – “The Elsie” is named after aviation pioneer and human rights advocate Elsie Gregory MacGill, the world’s first female aircraft designer. MacGill graduated from the University of Toronto’s electrical engineering program in 1927 and later became pivotal in the design and production of the Hawker Hurricane in Canada during the Second World War. During her career, MacGill was appointed to the Canadian Royal Commission on the Status of Women, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

The Foundation is always working on new initiatives and 2018 brings the introduction of our new Northern Lights Aero Foundation Mentorship Program, sponsored by Porter Airlines. We also recognize Air Canada as our Premier Sponsor in 2018.

The 2019 recipients will be selected by a judging panel comprised of industry experts and veterans, and will be honoured at the Elsie Awards gala in the Toronto area, in September,  at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel and Conference Centre.

To nominate an outstanding woman, or for more information about the Northern Lights Aero Foundation and sponsorship opportunities, visit: northernlightsaerofoundation.com.

Nominations submission deadline is March 31, 2019.

###

­

About the Northern Lights Aero Foundation

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that recognizes outstanding Canadian women in aviation and aerospace. Its mission to create career opportunities for Canadian women in aviation and aerospace.  In support of the mission the Foundation inspires and encourages increased participation of women in these industries by: heightening the visibility of honourees as role models; promoting awareness of the vast opportunities in all sectors; and ensuring organizations recognize and benefit from women’s diverse and untapped talents.

The Foundation’s national awards program, The Elsie, was established in 2009, and each year honours up to eight women for their contributions in specific aviation and aerospace disciplines. Award categories are: Flight Operations (civilian), Government, Business, Education, Pioneer, Engineering, and two Rising Stars.

Contact: Cathy Fraser, nominations@northernlightsaerofoundation.com

Additional information

Check us out on Facebook  facebook.com/NorthernLightsAero

Instagram.com/NLAF09

Twitter.com/NLAF09

October 3, 2018 – “We really need to continue to inspire young women to not only learn about this organization, but also to take part, and make sure that we know and remind them that they can pursue their dreams.” NLAF itself can be seen as a dream in the process of coming true.  Joy Parker Blackwood, the organization’s president and treasurer, noted how it launched in 2009 with no money and no idea what the future would hold.  It steadily gathered funding, stability and prestige, passing many milestones and forming many industry partnerships on its way to becoming one of Canadian aviation’s premier events.  Read the full article from Skies Magazine.

 

September 29, 2018 – Julie Beverstein chats with Nana aba Duncan about becoming a pilot at Porter Airlines, pursuing her passion, and bridging the gender gap in aviation.  Listen to the interview on CBC’s Fresh Air.

September 11, 2018 – Aviation has been a part of Larissa Chiu’s life for as long as she can remember. From a young age, her father shared his love of flying by spearheading family trips to airshows across the continent.  Those early experience helped set Chiu, now beginning her second year at UBC as an undergraduate student in the faculty of science, on a path towards a hard-earned position as a young leader in the Vancouver aviation community.  Read the full article in The Ubyssey.

August 11, 2018 – There’s nowhere to go but up for pilot Emily Crombez.  The 30-year-old Otterville native was recently selected as the recipient of the Elsie Macgill Northern Lights Government award by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, which focuses on attracting young women to careers in aviation and aerospace. “It’s humbling,” Crombez said. “I know a few women who have received the award. You read through their list of accomplishments and it’s overwhelming.”  Read the full article from the Woodstock Sentinel-Review.