Johnny May

Johnny May, (born 1945) is an Inuk living in Kuujjuaq known as being the first Inuk pilot in eastern Canada. He is credited with saving the lives of many Inuit in search-and-rescue missions and operating medevac airplane services to transport sick Inuit to health centres.

Johnny May
Born1945 (age 75–76)[1][2]
Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, Canada
CitizenshipCanadian
OccupationBush pilot
Spouse(s)Louisa
Parents
  • Bob May (father)
  • Nancy Angatuk (mother)

Family

His father was a non-inuit manager of a Hudson Bay Company trading post in Kangiqsualujjuaq, while his mother was a local inuk.[3] Among his 7 siblings, his sister Mary Simon is a former president of Makivik Corporation and former diplomat.

Career

May obtained his pilot's licence in 1962 after training in Pennsylvania. Through his company, Johnny May's Air Charters, he flew search-and-rescue missions in the Arctic tundra, as well as medevacs between inuit villages and from Nunavik to hospitals in southern Canada[2]

He is known for his annual Christmas candy drop, which has occurred since 1965 until at least 2019.[4] On Christmas day, he would take his airplane and shower the village of Kuujjuaq with candy and gifts.[5][6]

Legacy

He was inducted into the Québec Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2010. A movie about his life and career entitled The Wings of Johnny May was released in 2014 in English, French and Inuktitut.[7] A children's book about his annual candy drop titled The Kuujjuaq Christmas Candy Drop by Linda Brand was released in 2015.[8] In 2017 a short animated film was produced by the CBC called The Great Northern Candy Drop.

References
  1. "The Wings of Johnny May". Canada's Arctic Journal Above & Beyond. 2013-10-31. p. 43. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  2. Mendes, Sonia (2019-12-18). "A living legend: Museum honours Johnny May's final holiday flight". Ingenium Channel. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  3. Qumaq, Taamusi (2010). Je veux que les Inuit soient libres du nouveau. Presses de l'Université du Québec. p. 64. ISBN 978-2-7605-2580-1.
  4. "Il pleut des bonbons à Kuujjuaq | Objectif Nord | Télé-Québec". objectifnord.telequebec.tv.
  5. Prince, David. "Des cadeaux tombent du ciel depuis 51 ans". Le Journal de Montréal.
  6. MATIGNON, LOUIS DE GOUYON (29 January 2019). Dictionnaire inuit: Dialecte du Nunavik (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. ISBN 978-2-14-011188-4.
  7. News, Nunatsiaq (7 April 2014). "Legendary Inuk pilot, Johnny May of Nunavik, celebrated in big new documentary". Nunatsiaq News.
  8. "Children's book celebrates the Kuujjuaq Christmas Candy Drop". cbc.ca.
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