Manitoba Aviation Council career fair launches three-day conference

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This article was published 24/02/2025 (214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ever since she first travelled on an airplane as a child, MaryRose Lee has dreamt about a career as a commercial pilot.

“The uniform looked very professional and very cool at that time,” said Lee, who was raised in Seoul, South Korea, and now lives in Toronto. “Maybe that was the start (of my dream).”

Now 35 and a licensed pilot for the last eight years, Lee was in Winnipeg on Monday to explore where her career could take her next. She was one of the hundreds of people who attended the Manitoba Aviation Council’s annual career fair at the Holiday Inn Express.

Billed as Canada’s largest aviation career fair, the event featured more than 50 companies and 20 community groups as exhibitors, offering aspiring aviation professionals, students and industry veterans an opportunity to connect with employers, educators and experts.

The event featured exhibitors from across the aviation sector, including airlines, flight schools, aircraft maintenance providers and government agencies.

Around 1,200 people from across Canada registered to attend the day, which kicked off the 2025 Manitoba Aviation Conference.

“Ideally, we’d have 1,200 people with new jobs (after today); that would be great,” said Jim Bell, conference chairperson. “But realistically, the goal is for people to make contacts with potential employers that they can follow up with, and that it would in fact someday lead to a job that they can really enjoy.”

At 61, Bell has held a pilot’s licence since he was 17. He’s a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and a longtime aircraft maintenance engineer.

“It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of dedication, but it’s extremely worthwhile,” Bell said. “It’s a great career. It’s not always smooth, it’s definitely not always easy, but it’s a great career.”

The career fair is “a crucial event” for individuals looking to break into or advance their careers within the aviation industry, said Raquel Lincoln, executive director of the Manitoba Aviation Council.

“We’re just making everybody aware that aviation is here,” she said. “We’ve sensed that a lot of the bigger carriers have slowed down their hiring, but here in Manitoba, we have quite a robust stream that’s still flying up to the North.

“They’re still always hiring, looking for pilots and ground crew — so Manitoba’s very healthy with aviation.”

Andrew Cook, business development manager at Rocky Mountain Aircraft in Calgary, made the trip to Winnipeg to represent his firm.

The company, which has about 90 employees, leases and maintains airplanes. It’s currently looking to hire aircraft maintenance engineers.

“If we had 10 come along who had relevant experience, we would hire all 10; we would probably hire all 20 if there were 20,” Cook said. “We’re unlikely to get those sort of numbers. If we’re lucky, we will get one or two. But it’s worth our while actually trying to find them.”

Meanwhile, Joe and Stormy Wedge, father-and-son owners of Red River Aviation Services in East Selkirk, told attendees about their business. The Wedges offer seaplane endorsements and advanced floatplane courses to licensed pilots.

“People tell us it’s the most fun flying they’ve ever done,” Joe said. “It’s gratifying to just see people get through the (training) process and see how much they enjoy it. And of course, when they use it and also go get a career, it’s gratifying.”

The Manitoba Aviation Conference continues today and Wednesday with presentations by professionals from across the industry. They will discuss pressing issues like climate change as well Canada’s pilot shortage.

The council will also present 10 scholarships to young people to help advance their potential aviation careers.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca