(Toronto, Ont.–Oct. 26, 2026) Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and Chiefs of Ontario (COO) will hold a hybrid joint press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, following the release of a new documentary and launch of an advocacy campaign on the airport infrastructure crisis at remote First Nations airports in northern Ontario.
For the more than 20,000 people who live in remote First Nations, aviation is the only year-round connection to essential services. The 29 remote northern airports owned and operated by Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation serve as lifelines for medevac flights, emergency evacuations, food and supply deliveries and healthcare access. Decades of chronic underfunding have left these airports unable to meet basic safety and service standards—and people have died as a result.
NAN’s 2025 high-level needs assessment estimated that addressing infrastructure deficiencies across the 29 airports would require $1.2 and $1.5 billion in investment.
At the press conference, NAN and COO will call on Canada and Ontario to establish an Essential Service Airport Standard, commit dedicated multi-year funding, conduct an immediate safety audit and establish an ongoing multilateral table with First Nations.
Speakers* include:
- Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
- Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, Chiefs of Ontario
- Chief Archie Wabasse, Wunnumin Lake First Nation
*Speaker list subject to change
Members of the media are invited to attend as follows:
- Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
- Time: 12:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Muskoka Room, Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel, 801 Dixon Road Toronto, ON M9W 1J5
- Please note that media accreditation is required for in-person and virtual (Zoom) attendance.
- To register for media accreditation, please contact, Isak Vaillancourt at vaillancourt@coo.org and Adam Costa at acosta@nan.ca There is no cost for accredited media to attend.
There will be a public livestream available here: https://www.youtube.com/@ChiefsOfOntario/streams
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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all 133 First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction, and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ChiefsOfOntario
Media Contacts
Isak Vaillancourt
Communications Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
416-819-8184
isak.vaillancourt@coo.org
Adam Costa
Communications Manager
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
807-631-2364
