The Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority (SSMRCA) gave its approval in principle for Eagle Feather Aviation to expand its operations on Mark’s Bay Road at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Eagle Feather operates a Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter, based out of its hangar located at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport.
The company operates helicopter charter flights and performs aerial work for various entities, such as the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as performance of aircraft maintenance.
It is also officially recognized as a private career college by the provincial government and Transport Canada.
Eagle Feather is a 100 percent Aboriginally-owned business.
The company now wants to expand its business at the Conservation Authority’s Mark’s Bay Conservation Area, as a place to receive float planes and transport them to its hangar for maintenance.
Eagle Feather Aviation’s Chief Pilot, Operations Manager and Maintenance Director Phil Glave enthusiastically told reporters: “We’re there. It’s just a matter of getting the proper permits (from the Conservation Authority) and to pay for those permits. As soon as the ice is off Mark’s Bay we’ll start.”
Glave told SooToday.com the Sault Ste. Marie Airport and the City of Sault Ste. Marie have already given Eagle Feather the thumbs up for expanded operations.
The permits are expected to be ready in time for next month’s Conservation Authority meeting.
The float planes, Glave explained, will land at Mark’s Bay and be lifted out of the water by Eagle Feather with a huge dolly and transported safely to the company’s airport hangar, about a kilometre away, for maintenance.
Once maintenance is complete, the float planes will be transported back to Mark’s Bay, from where they can take off.
Currently, Glave told us, the company is only assisting with “a couple” of aircraft.
With the Mark’s Bay operation, Glave said “we’ll be looking at a good 40 to 60 aircraft in the area.”
“We’ll be looking at servicing aircraft from Muskoka, Northern Michigan, places as far north as Thunder Bay and White River.”
“We did a community survey (of neighbours in the area), we did our due diligence and surprisingly it’s been extremely well accepted as a very good idea. We’ll be putting in a seasonal dock for safety reasons, so that the planes aren’t coming right up on the beach.”
“The neighbours have asked us in the meantime if we could revamp the boat launch there, and absolutely we’ll do that for the community as well. The ramp that’s there now, it’s not that usable.”
Glave said Eagle Feather is confident of provincial government support from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).
Glave told us the service Eagle Feather wants to provide is much-needed.
“There been a decrease in service in the area. It’s hard to find a good float base to take the aircraft in and out. With the CA’s help, the Airport’s help and the City’s help, I think we’ve also got an excellent opportunity to open up a maintenance service for fixed-wing aircraft as well.”
“Services around here have been looking more at the corporate, commercial side than they have the private side. They’re ignoring the private sector. The maintenance facilities are only attached to the commercial operators now.”
“The private sector has now expressed an interest in maintenance facilities for Eagle Feather…there are a lot of private guys with float planes.”
“The Conservation Authority seems to be all for it. The MNR did this 20 years ago with larger aircraft, so this is something I’d like to bring back to the area.”
Glave said that for now, Eagle Feather’s hangar will not expand in size, but added the company is looking to hire more staff as business increases.
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