The Drone Transport Initiative is a partnership project co-created by Stellat’en First Nation, the Village of Fraser Lake, and the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Launched in 2020 to address medical supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drone Transport Initiative has grown into one of Canada’s longest-running healthcare initiatives involving drone technology. Today, it continues to focus on enhancing access to essential medical supplies, and supporting community- and First Nations-led development in rural and remote areas of British Columbia.

Canada’s vast geography poses unique challenges for healthcare access. In British Columbia, rugged mountains and remote coastal regions define the landscape, with about 22% of residents living in rural or remote communities spread across most of the province’s land mass. These lands are home to over 290,000 Indigenous peoples, nearly half of whom live in small population centres or rural areas (Statistics Canada, 2021). These realities make delivering timely, equitable care a significant priority and is a provincial commitment outlined in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to Indigenous peoples.

“Through drone technology, we’re hoping to understand how we can positively influence getting medical supplies of a broad range to these communities.”
– Dr. John Pawlovich, Family Physician and Project Co-Sponsor

Virtual health innovations such as telemedicine allow patients to connect with providers from the comfort of their homes. However, BC’s geography still presents barriers to accessing diagnostic tests and essential medicines. The Drone Transport Initiative helps bridge this gap by delivering critical supplies directly to rural and remote communities when other means of transportation are limited.

“The drone helps have community members stay at home, and that’s a big thing to them.”
– Chief Robert Michell, Stellat’en First Nation

Phase I focused on examining the integration of drone technology into the local healthcare infrastructure. A key priority was building strong health system partnerships and engaging meaningfully with community members. The project began by testing the feasibility of transporting surrogate medical cargo from the Village of Fraser Lake’s Medicine Centre to Stellat’en First Nation.

The drone operated along a pre-programmed route between the Village of Fraser Lake and Stellat’en First Nation, completing the 5 km flight in 7 minutes at 200 feet above ground. From Monday to Friday, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, 14–16 flights per day were scheduled between designated drone sites in each community. Over a 12-month period, the project successfully completed 1,228 flights and achieved significant regulatory milestones

A key priority within Phase I was to meaningfully engage with community members of all ages to foster a sense of ownership, involvement, and shared responsibility for the project. In October, 2021, the project kicked off with an official Opening Ceremony, bringing together members from Stellat’en First Nation and the Village of Fraser Lake to mark the beginning of the Drone Transport Initiative’s one-year demonstration project.

Phase 2 is set to begin with another community engagement event on July 23 at Stella Community Hall.

For more information – visit the research website: UBC Research Site