ORNGE says air transport for critical patients in northern Ontario is still too long but getting better – CBC
Oct 31, 2025
ORNGE testifies at inquest into deaths of five people during outbreak in Constance Lake First Nation
Representatives of the province’s air ambulance operation, ORNGE, said that it’s still impossible to meet the provincial ministry of health’s timelines for transportation of critically ill patients in the north, although response times have improved since 2021.
Chief Operating Officer Wade Durham and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Sawadsky testified at the inquest into the deaths of five members of Constance Lake First Nation during an outbreak of a fungal lung disease in 2021.
Two people, 43 year-old Luke Moore and 56 year-old Lizzie Sutherland died at the Notre Dame hospital in Hearst while waiting for flights to better-equipped hospitals.
