Drones will deliver medicine, medical supplies to Montana First Nation

Drone Delivery Canada is expanding its drone operations in Alberta. (Supplied)

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