Manitoba's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 36
MANITOBA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
36
Indigenous pilots soar with Perimeter Aviation
G
reydon Pangman
had an emotional
homecoming as a
pilot for Perimeter
Aviation, an airline
serving remote communities
in northern Manitoba and
northwestern Ontario, when he
first flew into Shamattawa First
Nation at the end of 2025.
“It was a very humbling
experience,” says Pangman, who
grew up in Shamattawa but is
now based in Thompson, Man. “I
hope to fly back on a regular basis
because I want to inspire people
back home.”
My calling is to impact
people in a positive
way. I want to inspire
the next generation
of aviators and
Indigenous people.
— Greydon Pangman
Pilot
Pangman wants to set the same
example for others as he got from
his inspirations: Raven Beardy and
Robyn Shlachetka — Manitoba’s
first female Indigenous medevac
team — and Atik Mason, one of
Perimeter’s first Indigenous pilots
from a community it serves. “I
want to follow in those footsteps
and push Indigenous aviators to
the forefront,” he says.
He realized his dream through
the Atik Mason Indigenous Pilot
Pathway, a fully-funded flight
training program created by
Exchange Income Corporation
Greydon Pangman, a pilot at Perimeter Aviation.
(EIC), Perimeter’s parent company.
The pathway, inspired by
Mason, was created in 2022 for
aspiring Indigenous pilots to
overcome the barriers people
from remote communities may
face in attaining a pilot’s licence,
including cost and relocation.
The one-of-a-kind pathway
brings training to students by
offering flexibility and no strict
timelines for completion. It is
delivered primarily in Thompson
and in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut,
meaning students don’t have to
leave Northern Canada for the
majority of training.
Being close to home is crucial
for some aspiring pilots, like
Pangman, who became a father
while pursuing his licence.
“That’s the unique thing about
the pathway — it’s not linear,” he
says. “Sometimes your route could
be twisty, then back and forth, but
there’s no failure. When you’re
ready, you’re ready.”
Graduates are given the
opportunity to pursue a career
within the EIC airline network.
Perimeter currently employs five
pilots from the pathway.
For remote communities, air
travel is an essential service,
necessary for everything from
medical appointments to
groceries. It’s a responsibility
Perimeter takes seriously, from
Indigenous representation to
cultural awareness training and a
high safety standard.
“Perimeter works with the
North differently than any
other company I’ve served,” says
president and CEO Joey Petrisor,
who has been in the aviation
industry for almost 30 years, 15 in
the North.
“We’re very tied into northern
communities,” he says. “We take
care of the communities that we
serve.”
Staff are given the right tools
for the job, including training
in specialty safety procedures
like de-icing, but also cultural
knowledge such as identifying,
handling or not handling regalia
and sacred items. Aircraft are
outfitted with boarding ramps
for people experiencing mobility
challenges.
A comfortable experience is
particularly important as many
passengers are on medical
trips, Petrisor explains. “Being a
lifeline and understanding our
importance to the day-to-day lives
of the communities we serve is
