The Saskatchewan Air Ambulance Service (SAAS) is the oldest non-military government air ambulance globally and is celebrating 75 years of flying rural and Northern residents throughout the province for medical care.
To celebrate this milestone, the Government of Saskatchewan is featuring videos, photos and stories on its website and on social from April 12 to 16. These stories give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the people who kept SAAS flying and saving lives.
“Saskatchewan Air Ambulance provides a critical service for the people of the province,” Jim Reiter, minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Procurement, said in a news release. “It has a unique and rich history dating back to 1946 and is a lifeline for all corners of Saskatchewan.”
Since 1946, SAAS has transported more than 71,000 patients and currently averages about 110 flights per month, a news release explained. Two out of three patients are triaged as urgent or emergent and requiring critical care. This means they are in the highest need when Air Ambulance arrives. Experienced and trained medical crews provide critical care for any patient in need.
“Saskatchewan Air Ambulance has been a great partner helping us provide high-quality care to the people of this province,” Scott Livingstone, CEO of Saskatchewan Health Authority, said. “This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the lives they have saved and the critical role they play helping ensure we can get to every corner of this province to help Saskatchewan residents when they are most in need.”
According to the Western Development Museum (WDM) website, the first Saskatchewan Air Ambulance flight was made in a Norseman plane, CF-SAH, on Feb. 3, 1946. Initially, service was provided by one pilot, one nurse, one engineer, and one plane. A second airplane, also a Norseman, was purchased a few months later. CF-SAM flew its first patient mission on Oct. 4, 1946, to Shaunavon.
In its first year, the fledgling air ambulance, consisting of Norseman CF-SAH and Norseman CF-SAM, flew more than 250 patient missions.
“During the late 1940s and 1950s when the population was widely scattered and roads were poor, it was reassuring to know that accident victims or those with acute illnesses could get emergency medical attention in Saskatoon or Regina within hours,” the website said.
“Pilots told hair-raising tales of landing in bad weather on rural airstrips, or in pastures and farmers’ fields to pick up their patients. In 1953, more than 1,000 people were transported, many of them suffering from polio.”
Late in 1949, CF-SAM’s career as an air ambulance ended when a Cessna aircraft replaced it and the Norseman was sold to Saskatchewan Government Airways. In the late 1960s, it was purchased by Nipawin Air Services, the WDM website said.
Called a “two-ton truck of the air” by former air ambulance pilot Don Campbell, CF-SAM was used as a bush plane in northern Saskatchewan for nearly 25 years. It flew charters, hauled freight, fish and mining equipment, and patrolled and ferried smokejumpers to forest fires. Its wheels could be exchanged for floats or skis when needed.
The National Film Board documented Saskatchewan’s innovative Air Ambulance Service in its 1947 film “Wings of Mercy.” Campbell also used this title for his book, which recounts his adventures as an air ambulance pilot. The book was published by Turner-Warwick Publications Inc., North Battleford, in 1993.
In 1982, Canada Post recognized the Noorduyn Norseman CF-SAM on its 60-cent stamp.
The WDM collection contains a CF-SAM model, made originally to promote the air ambulance service at fairs throughout Saskatchewan.
