It takes about 5½ hours to drive from Kenora to Thunder Bay, Ont., depending on highway closures and weather conditions.
But come the new year, people will be able to take a one-hour flight instead.
The Kenora Airport Authority has partnered with North Star Air to launch a direct, scheduled passenger air service between both cities.
The service — which comes into effect Jan. 15 — will fill the gap left by the departure of Bearskin Airlines in May 2024 from Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances.
Since the fall, the three communities have been collaborating on an air service feasibility study and a stakeholder survey, to make the business case for why a new air passenger carrier is needed.
“This new partnership with North Star Air marks an exciting milestone for the Kenora Airport and our community,” said Ryan Reynard, chairman of the Kenora Airport Authority, in a news release Thursday.
“A direct link to Thunder Bay strengthens our regional transportation network and supports easier access to health services, commerce, business connectivity and general travel opportunities across northern Ontario and beyond.”
North Star Air is a Canadian airline that offers scheduled passenger service, charter flights and cargo operations across northern Ontario, Manitoba and Nunavut.
“This new route reflects our commitment to helping communities stay connected and supporting economic growth across the region,” said Jeff Stout, president and chief operating officer of North Star Air, in Thursday’s news release.
About 15,000 people live in Kenora. Mayor Andrew Poirier said he’s “ecstatic and over the moon” about the return of passenger air services to the community — especially with what he considers “substandard highways in northwestern Ontario” to be limiting people’s travel options.
“They’re very dangerous and there’s a lot of people that refuse to travel on them, which creates its own set of problems,” Poirier told CBC News.
In his view, the service will serve both economic purposes — driving more tourists to Kenora — and help people meet their health-care needs.
Though many people travel to Thunder Bay for medical appointments, the construction of a new hospital in Kenora may bring more patients further west to access services, he explained.
“The people that may utilize an air service that’s scheduled and actually aligns with other airlines coming out of Thunder Bay — I think that makes a huge difference,” Poirier said.
For people who frequently travel across the region for work, being able to take a one-hour flight rather than spending upwards of 11 hours driving back and forth means “you basically save a day,” Poirier added.
“You have to look at that in comparison to the cost of what the flight is. Time is money.”
The Kenora Airport Authority said it “will work closely with regional partners, municipalities, and tourism organizations to ensure the service meets community needs and grows sustainably over time.”
A launch event is being planned at the Kenora Airport with North Star Air on Dec. 20 before the service comes into effect in the new year.
