Heather Sifton was awarded the Inaugural Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Award. Mrs. Sifton is a licensed pilot, business woman and philanthropist. She was also the owner and operator of the Toronto Buttonville Airport and served an important role in all aspects of its growth and development for over 45 years. She has served as a positive influence and role model for many aviation students and contributed significantly to the aviation community in Canada.
Keynote speaker Dick Bourgeois-Doyle, author of “My Daughter the Engineer” - the life of Elsie MacGill - spoke about how the thread of achievements and challenges in her life mirror the lives of significant women such as Heather. Heather was joined by members of her family, local aircraft owners and pilots and aviation and political dignitaries. There were several tributes presented to Heather including a video produced by Asti Livingston, about her life. In accepting her award Heather commented, "This is a special evening for me and the Sifton family as a whole.....From something that started as a personal interest I have been able to participate in many things, a great business, a collection of truly special people who work with us and call our airport home and a job that has brought me pleasure and self satisfaction."
