SA国际影视传媒

The principals behind a new book about a Northern-based airline held a book signing at Yellowknife Books on May 19 to commemorate the tome's release.

Titled 'Wings Over The Sahtu,' the publication tells the story of North-Wright Airways, an airline based in Norman Wells.

North-Wright founder Warren Wright told SA国际影视传媒 the idea behind the book came from a couple of sources of inspiration. One, tourists always have questions about both the region's history as well as the airline's. And two, to help pass on his family's legacy. Wright founded the company in 1986.

Asked about his favourite part about the book, Wright laughed and said that it's done. For a more serious answer, he also mentioned how it features Indigenous content. 

"They are our clients, and we wanted to service the Sahtu properly," said Wright. "We felt that they should be part of the whole operation."

Though it's a family business, North-Wright Airways is primarily Indigenous-owned, which Wright proposed in 2000. Today, development corporations in Deline, Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells share 51 per cent ownership, with the Wright family still in charge of the airline's day-to-day operations.

"This is all new to me, this book stuff," said Wright, who noted it's been about two years in the making to release Wings Over The Sahtu. But for the book's author, Bill Braden, this is familiar territory. 

Braden said he's already written more than five books, one of which happens to be about another airline, Air Tindi. For his most recent publication, Braden said he interviewed about 35 people and travelled to the Sahtu region, which was great, he added. 

"That's something that was important because we wanted to profile each of the communities that the airline serves," said Braden.   

He added that stories like Wright's are the kind of stories he likes to tell. 

"The passion and the reputation that the Wrights have just made it that much fuller and bigger a story. So it was a real pleasure to write it," Braden said.