Bruce McPherson

Toronto-based Drone Delivery Canada is partnering with a non-profit to deploy COVID-related drone delivery to a First Nation community.

The company announced a collaboration with GlobalMedic and Air Canada to carry needed cargo to Christian Island, a remote territory governed by the Beausoleil First Nation Community in Ontario.  Using Sparrow drones and DDC’s DroneSpot takeoff and landing zones as well as additional drone flight infrastructure, flights will be remotely monitored by the company from its new commercial operations center located in Vaughan, Ont.

Company officials expect the program will launch in the third quarter of this year. The program will work in partnership with logistics firm, the OEC Group.

The Beausoleil First Nation Community is expected to use DDC’s Sparrow drone solution to limit person-to-person contact on its island ferry service by transporting COVID-related cargo such as personal protection equipment, hygiene kits, test kits and test swabs.

“We are pleased to announce GlobalMedic as another paid commercial drone logistics customer,” DDC  CEO Michael Zahra said.

He added:

“The Beausoleil First Nation community will benefit from our drone delivery solution during the COVID-19 pandemic by limiting person-to-person contact between the mainland and Christian Island, while keeping their supply chain open.  Our solution is ideal for this application and we look forward to seeing the benefits for the Community. To our knowledge this is the first announced [COVID-related drone delivery] logistics project working with a humanitarian aid agency in Canada.  We are grateful to GlobalMedic, OEC Group and other generous donors for their sincere concern for First Nations communities, involvement in this project and embracing our drone technology as a solution.”

“GlobalMedic is proud to be part of this [COVID-related drone delivery] program to deliver desperately needed aid to an isolated First Nations Community,” GlobalMedic executive director Rahul Singh said.

“Through consultation with the Community, we understand that supply chain issues exist and have been exacerbated by COVID19. We are excited to use drones as part of the solution to overcome these challenges. We have a well-known history of using drones to respond to crisis zones having deployed our drone teams to dozens of countries using our award winning RescUAV program. We thank the OEC group and other donors to help fund this project and look forward to seeing DDC drones in the air delivering lifesaving aid to our friends in Beausoleil First Nation.”

Last year, DDC partnered with Air Canada and the Edmonton International Airport to launch the world’s first airport-based, drone-delivery hub. Edmonton Regional Airports Authority and DDC plan to build flight routes from EIA using the drone firm’s DroneSpot takeoff and landing zones utilizing DDC’s drone flight infrastructure