Great Slave Helicopters Ltd. (GSH), has signed a new joint-venture partnership agreement related to the K’ahsho Got’ine Land District of Sahtu Settlement Area of the Northwest Territories.
The deal is a three-way partnership including Yamoga Energy Services of Fort Good Hope, Behdzi Ahda First Nation Economic Development Trust of Colville Lake, and GSH of Yellowknife and has resulted in the creation of majority Aboriginal-owned and controlled K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters Ltd. Upon its creation, K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters has immediately purchased its own Bell 206 LR helicopter which is now in service with the GSH fleet.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with Great Slave Helicopters in this way,” said Harvey Pierrot, President of K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters. “We’ve been involved with Great Slave for a number of years but this new venture is very exciting, we now own our own helicopter.”
K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters’ machine is a six-passenger Long Ranger, a versatile, smooth and efficient intermediate class helicopter delivering low fuel use even while moving a 1,200-lbs. external load. Some of the industries and applications that could utilize K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters’ Bell 206 LR include mining, exploration, utility, infrastructure planning and development, medevac/search and rescue, passenger transport, forest firefighting, tourism as well as oil and gas exploration support.
“By making this investment in a helicopter that is so versatile, we have the security of knowing it will always be flying for someone, somewhere and earning revenue for the beneficiaries of the K’ahsho Got’ine District no matter where it works,” said Colville Lake’s Joseph Kochon, Vice-President of K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters. “If and when the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline moves forward we’ll be well-positioned to profit from it, but in the meantime we’re not dependent on it or any other activity in the Sahtu to earn profits for our people.”
In fact, K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters’ machine is already under contract and expected to be working in Nunavut for the remainder of the fall exploration season.
“We are extremely pleased to work with our Aboriginal partners and in this way help them to invest in our industry,” said Jeff Denomme, President of GSH. “Our business model of creating profitable, mutually beneficial joint-ventures with Aboriginal partners around the North is time-tested and this addition of K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters and its Bell 206LR to our family is a continuation of that winning formula.”
The deal will also create training opportunities with Great Slave Helicopters by way of annual scholarships offered to Sahtu Land Claim beneficiaries of the K’ahsho Got’ine District who are accepted for study as commercial helicopter pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers.
“We are proud to make this investment in the future of our partner First Nations and assist them in building capacity for tomorrow,” added Denomme.
ABOUT THE GREAT SLAVE HELICOPTER PARTNERSHIPS
The Northlinx network now includes 12 profitable, primarily Aboriginal-owned helicopter companies around the NWT and Nunavut. These include Denendeh Helicopters, Dehcho Regional Helicopters, Akaitcho Helicopters, Sahtu Helicopters, Tlicho Helicopters, Kitikmeot Helicopters, Gwich’in Helicopters, Havgun Helicopters, Kivalliq Aviation, Superior Helicopters, Hudson Bay Helicopters and now K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters. Together these ventures come together in partnership with Great Slave Helicopters Ltd. in the Northlinx network allowing all partners to benefit from pan-territorial mega-projects requiring helicopter services.