When aviation volunteers mobilize: CWoR supports emergency air exercise

On a warm fall morning in Stratford, Ontario (CYSA), a small but mighty team from Canadian Wings of Rescue joined organizations, academics, first-responders and pilots at Air Bridge 2025, Ontario’s first general aviation emergency response exercise.

As a registered charity powered 100% by volunteers, CWOR was proud to have both pilots in the air and an information booth on the ground at this first-of-its-kind event organized by Alliance North.

The simulation was more than a drill. It was a call to action that demonstrated the critical, underused role that general aviation and Ontario volunteer private pilots can play in emergencies.

Public benefit flying in action

Air Bridge 2025 showcased many different roles, from drone reconnaissance for search-and-rescue operations, to transportation of emergency personnel, and our team’s involvement reaffirmed what we’ve always known: general aviation can be a powerful force.

Some of our own volunteer pilots participated in the simulation, flying coordinated exercises to deploy medical teams, airlift supplies, and simulate aid delivery.

Meanwhile, on the ground, CWoR staff and volunteers welcomed visitors at our booth, sharing our mission: to fly vulnerable animals across Canada to safety and care, free of charge. The same spirit of coordination and compassion that fuels disaster response is what drives our animal rescue flights.

“For the last two years, we’ve been building training courses, response plans,” said Chirag Chopra, Alliance North co-founder and Canadian Wings of Rescue board member. “We’ve been talking with various municipal, provincial, federal level officials and getting this all together. So this event was a culmination of all of that.”

Same Wings, Shared Mission

While Air Bridge 2025 focused on emergency scenarios, it highlighted the shared DNA between disaster response and animal rescue: both require coordination, trust, and fast mobilization, often in time-sensitive conditions.

We’re especially proud to see the launch of the Volunteer Emergency Air Corps (VEAC), a new network of civilian pilots now ready to be activated when Ontario needs them most. It’s a natural complement to CWoR’s ongoing mission and a reminder of how adaptable and impactful our volunteer aviation network can be.

“We are showcasing to the federal, provincial, municipal governments that we’ve got a

program of training – and getting pilots.   So as much as it was testing out our own protocols and our own procedures, it was very much intended to get the message out to communities, to governments, to whoever needs to know this, that local pilots exist in the communities they want to help,” shared Chirag.