ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - A Fort Nelson-based air charter company with longstanding ties to Fort Liard recently made its commitment to the community official, opening a base there on April 1.

Steve Malesku, a longtime pilot and current manager of Villers Air Services Ltd.'s new base in Fort Liard, stands with a Beech Baron B-58 aircraft, one of several planes the company will use to fly people in and out of Fort Liard. - photo courtesy of Villers Air Services Ltd.

Villers Air Services Ltd.'s move to Fort Liard comes in the wake of North Cariboo Air – the latest in a long string of companies providing an air link between Fort Liard and the rest of the Dehcho region and the NWT – closing the base earlier this year.

After North Cariboo pulled out, Villers Air proposed to rent the hangar and adjoining office, which is owned by Acho Dene Koe First Nation subsidiary Beaver Enterprises, said Steve Malesku, sole pilot for Villers in Fort Liard.

While the company has never operated a base in the community, "It's been flying in this area for over 50 years," with original founder Steve Villers flying in groceries and mail and taking passengers to trap lines in Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake, said Malesku.

Malesku, who flew with North Cariboo and one of its predecessors, Deh Cho Air, is currently using a Beech Baron B-58, a light twin otter capable of carrying seven passengers.

Other planes in Villers' fleet, including a Cessna 206 Stationair and Piper Navajo PA-31-310, will provide necessary relief when needed.

Fort Liard – which is not serviced by First Air or Canadian North and had a population of 572 as of last July (according to the NWT Bureau of Statistics) – is home to several people who need to fly to Yellowknife for medical appointments.

These people constitute Villers' largest pool of customers, said Malesku.

"If people don't fly to Yellowknife for medical appointments, they end up taking a taxi to Fort Simpson, which is three and a half hours on the road. They have to be there an hour before flight time, and then take Air Tindi or First Air over to Yellowknife," he said.

"They have their appointment or lab work the following day. Then if it's not done in time, they overnight in Yellowknife a second night. Then they take First Air back to Simpson, and then another three-and-a-half-hour drive to Fort Liard."

Olinto Beaulieu, owner of Olinto's Taxi Ltd. in Fort Simpson, said his company charges a flat rate of $800 for a ride from Fort Liard to Fort Simpson, or vice versa.

Having a direct link to Yellowknife is far more comfortable for patients, added David Humphrey, director of finance and administration for Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority.

"If it's a physical ailment, it would be more preferable to go directly and not have to endure the road on top of everything else," said Humphrey.

Malesku said any expansion of Villers' staff in Fort Liard will depend on future oil and gas or mining exploration work in the area.