Drones will deliver medicine, medical supplies to Montana First Nation
People living on the Montana First Nation will soon have their prescription medication delivered by drone.
Ontario-based company Drone Delivery Canada is expanding its drone operations in Alberta through several new commercial agreements which include the First Nation.
Drones currently fly between a YEG drone spot to a Memorial Park location. That will expand to include a medical clinic owned by the First Nation, then on to the community which is located about 90 kilometres south of Edmonton.
In an email to CTV News Edmonton, the company said drones should be on their way to Montana First Nation starting in the spring.
The closest pharmacy is about 15 kilometres from the First Nation. While it may not seem far, Chief Ralph Cattleman said it's a problem because many in the community don't have vehicles.
He said the First Nation will be the first in the province to have this kind of service.
"We're going to set the footprints of this service to all people, to all First Nations," Chief Cattleman said.
He's already thinking about the other types of goods that could be delivered by drone.
"The opportunities are going to be great," he said.
The company said it entered an agreement with YEG in 2019 for Phase 1 of its drone delivery program, becoming commercially operational in May 2022.
During that time its drones logged more than 2,400 flights. Deliveries to the First Nation are part of Phase 2.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Upcoming GST relief causes confusion for some small Canadian businesses
A tax break for the holiday season will start this week, giving some Canadians relief on year-end shopping. But for small businesses, confusion around what applies for the GST relief has emerged.
Public support key but harder to keep as Canada Post strike drags on, experts say
Public support is key to the success of a strike, experts say, but as the Canada Post strike drags on, that support is likely getting harder to maintain.
Ontario mulls U.S. booze ban as Trump brushes off Ford's threat to cut electricity
Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump is brushing off Ontario's threat to restrict electricity exports in retaliation for sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods, as the province floats the idea of effectively barring sales of American alcohol.
Canadian officials eyed 'new opportunities' no matter who won U.S. election: memos
As the U.S. presidential election loomed, Canadian officials envisioned new opportunities for co-operation with their southern neighbour on nuclear energy, supply chain security and carbon capture technologies — no matter who won the contest, newly released government memos show.
Man who set fires inside Calgary's municipal building lost testicle during arrest: ASIRT
Two Calgary police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident that saw a suspect lose a testicle after being shot with an anti-riot weapon.
She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
According to court documents, detectives reopened the cold case in 2017 and then worked with a forensics company to extract DNA from Baby Garnet's partial femur, before sending the results to Identifinders International.
Suspected Chinese spy with business ties to Prince Andrew barred from U.K.
A suspected Chinese spy with business ties to Prince Andrew has been barred from the U.K. because of concerns he poses a threat to national security.
President Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as France's next prime minister
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week.
Climate groups tried to spur action with a Taylor Swift ticket giveaway. Can it work?
Taylor Swift commands a legion of devotees, but among the thousands decked out in cowboy boots, friendship bracelets and glitter at her Canadian performances, one was not like the others.