An Indigenous community in northeastern Ontario is turning to drones to help lower costs and create jobs.
Moose Cree First Nation has teamed up with Toronto-based Drone Delivery Canada to see if the self-flying aircraft can reduce the time and expense of bringing food, medicine and other supplies to the remote community.
Moose Cree is located 2.5 kilometres from Moosonee, Ont., but is situated on an island with no easy link to the shore.
Goods are usually transported by barge in the summer and in trucks driving along ice roads in the winter, with pricey helicopters filling the gaps during the spring and fall when the waterway is partially frozen.
The community says it will start experimenting with using drones to transport key supplies.
It says the pilot project, which is expected to get underway next month, could not only reduce prices for food and other key supplies but create jobs in the area.