Amid a pilot shortage in Canada, Thunder Bay hopes to inspire more women and young people to take flight

Thunder Bay, Ont., wants young people and women to soar into a career in aviation as Canada’s airline industry deals with an ongoing pilot shortage. 

This week, there’s a career fair at Confederation College and a showcase for women in aviation at Wasaya Airlines that highlight the multiple opportunities available to them.  

“We definitely need more hands. We’re always needing more people to bring planes in, ground crew, maintenance workers,” said Rachel Perzan, a second-year student in aircraft maintenance at Confederation College who works with Bearskin Airlines. 

“There’s more than just maintenance and pilots. There’s service workers, inspection people — there’s always a