Northern Lights Aero Foundation

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation (NLAF) is an Ontario not-for-profit corporation that recognises and celebrates accomplished women in Canadian aviation and aerospace. Its mission is to attract and inspire women to succeed in careers in the sector through outreach, mentorship, scholarships and awards. The foundation began in 2009 when a group of Ninety-Nines from the First Canadian Chapter, led by award creator Anna Pangrazzi, decided to launch an awards dinner the same year; the first event took place on 1 October 2009 in Markham, Ontario. The awards are named after Elsie Gregory MacGill, the Vancouver-born engineer who was the first Canadian woman to graduate in electrical engineering, the first woman in North America with an advanced aeronautics degree and the world's first female aircraft designer.

Programmes

• The Elsie awards, presented annually to Canadian women in aviation and aerospace; the 2026 recipients were announced in June and honoured at a gala at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton, Ontario, on 3 October 2026
• The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship for Canadian women in aviation, now in its eighth year with applications opening on 1 November; eight recipients of the seventh scholarship were announced in March 2026
• The Captain Christina Thomson ALPA Scholarship
• A mentorship programme pairing members with experienced mentors, and a speakers' bureau of accomplished women available for keynotes, galas, conferences and school presentations
• The Blue Skies Podcast, hosted by Trisha Virdee and Aryan Ganatra, featuring leaders in aviation and aerospace

Board and supporters

The board is led by president Lynne McMullen of Chorus Aviation, formerly with the Seneca School of Aviation, and vice-president Anna Pangrazzi, president of Apex Aircraft Sales and a pilot since 1977. Directors include retired Air Canada Boeing 787 captain Cathy Fraser, Captain Judy Cameron, who became Air Canada's first female pilot in 1978 and flew 23,000 hours over 40 years, Joy Parker Blackwood, Kathleen, Julie and Piyush. Sponsor logos on the site include WestJet, Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre, Wings Magazine and Women in Aviation.

Shows

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation appears in the sponsor and exhibitor lists of the ATAC Canadian Aviation Conference and Tradeshow 2026 and 2027.

Contact

Description from the company’s website. Is this your company? Claim this page to add your services, photos and contact details.