From land to skies

Jonair (1988) Ltd. is soaring to new heights with crop and forestry protection

APortage la Prairie company is a local leader in aerial application, agronomy, and crop protection.

Jonair (1988) Ltd., located at 28120 Road 67N in Portage la Prairie, provides aerial applications to growers in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. As part of a consortium, they also sell crop protection products to farmers in the area, as well as provide forest management in Eastern Canada in the spring. The consortium also includes Portage Aircraft Maintenance Ltd., which does maintenance on aircrafts, and Portage Aircraft Specialties Ltd., the dealer for Air Tractor airplanes in Canada.

The company was founded in the early 1980s by John Bodie, who incorporated it in 1988. In 2011, Bryan Dion, an agronomist, and Dave Frisch, a pilot, purchased the company and have been operating it ever since.

“When we bought the company in 2011, we were basically just doing crop protection and aerial spraying in Manitoba,” says Dion. “Since then, we have branched out to do aerial spraying in Saskatchewan and forest protection in Eastern Canada. We joined Air Tractor in 2018 as the authorized dealer for aircraft sales, repairs, maintenance, and parts throughout Canada.”

Currently they have a fleet of nine Air Tractor aircraft, which service large areas quickly, enabling them to treat crops faster and prevent against pests and diseases. Aerial spraying is advantageous for farmers since there is zero soil compaction, which means by spraying the crops from above there is no ground compaction from tires and heavy equipment, as well as no wheel tracks, and no compacting soil particles. Ground equipment can reduce pore space and restrict oxygen and water movement into and through the soil and root zone. As we have seen with this year, aerial application is also suitable for wet soil, as compaction from ground equipment can be harmful, often making the soil hard and reducing yields.

Jonair’s pilots are highly trained professionals who hold commercial pilot licenses and provincial applicator licenses. They also maintain the most

By Shayna Wiwierski

up-to-date knowledge of legislation, pesticide hazards, and safe working procedures.

In addition to their aerial spraying work in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, they also protect forests in Eastern Canada from health-threatening pests. Every year at end of May, Jonair is part of a group of over 30 aircraft from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta that take flight to Quebec to participate in the Budworm Program, a spray program that helps to control the spruce budworm, a moth whose caterpillar feeds on trees. The Budworm Program aims to maintain tree survival, preserve the annual allowable cut, and protect wildlife habitat.

The company currently employs 17 full-time staff and four admin staff. In their busy season, they see an additional 12 part-time employees. Dion says that there have been some challenges in finding part-time staff, as well as specialized staff in the industry, whether it’s agronomists, parts technicians, or aircraft engineers. He also notes that government regulations have also been a challenge as of late since they have been experiencing government red tape on everything from regulations at the farm level to the business level.

Proud members of the Portage la Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce since the company was founded by Bodie in the ‘80s, Jonair (1988) Ltd. has grown and is only soaring to new heights as the company continues to evolve.

“Our customers are extremely happy,” says Dion. “We’ve grown and expanded the footprint in our yard here too. Since we took over in 2011, we have added two hangers, extended our crop protection storage, and added onto our main maintenance facility to store and deliver aircraft parts for aerial applicators across Canada. We are currently working with suppliers to expand crop protection products and provide improved options for our customers.”

OUR SERVICES

Economic Development Investment Attraction Business Navigation Expansion & Retention Site Selections Economic Insights Community Data Pathfinding Tourism Serves RM & City

www.investinportage.ca @investinportage 204-856-5000

www.delcommunications.com

DIGITAL

Helping your members stay connected is WHAT WE DO.

We offer outstanding personal service and quality in the areas of... • Creative Design • Website Design • Advertising Sales • Print and Web Magazine Publications • Online E-newsletters • Online Directories