Hope Air Announces 3rd Annual Haul for Hope Toronto Event at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
TORONTO, September 8, 2025 – Hope Air is proud to announce the return of Haul for Hope to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) for its 3rd annual event. On Saturday, September 13, 2025, over 20 teams will come together on the tarmac for a thrilling challenge to pull a 67,000-lb Porter Airlines aircraft 75 metres. This symbolic feat highlights the incredible challenges patients face when travelling long distances to access essential medical care.
Following the success of last year’s Haul for Hope, which united corporate teams across the region and generated critical funds for patients in need, this year’s event is set to elevate both participation and impact.
Hope Air experienced record-breaking demand in 2024 with 13,721 patient flights across the country, 1,512 of those travelled through YTZ, making it the second most frequently used airport in the country for Hope Air’s services. In 2025 demand for flights is projected to rise another 7%, meaning that the need for community support has never been greater.
PortsToronto and Nieuport Aviation play a vital role in hosting the event.
“Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is uniquely located just minutes from the world-class hospitals, research labs, and trauma centres that define healthcare in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO of PortsToronto. “Its accessibility and strong connections to the regional transportation network make it an ideal gateway for patients and families travelling for care. This is also why Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance service, has maintained a base at the airport for over 40 years. We’re proud to serve as a hub for healthcare in Ontario and to support Hope Air’s critical mission by hosting the annual Haul for Hope.”
Jennifer Quinn, Chief Executive Officer at Nieuport Aviation, says, “Haul for Hope is a remarkable way to showcase what can be achieved when airport partners and the broader Toronto community pull together, literally, for a vital cause. We are proud to support Hope Air’s mission and to ensure that patients travelling through YTZ have the connections they need to access life-saving care.”
20+ teams of 10-12 people will take part in the ultimate test of strength, spirit, and teamwork, working together to raise $100,000 in vital funds for patients in financial need who must travel far from home for healthcare. Last year, Toronto’s event welcomed 18 teams, including international participants, and this year is expected to surpass that milestone.
“Haul for Hope Toronto demonstrates the power of a community united by compassion. Every plane pulled represents the real journeys our patients take when faced with the burden of distance and cost to access medical care. Thanks to the commitment of partners like Porter, PortsToronto and Nieuport Aviation, we can meet the rising demand for our services and make sure that every Canadian, no matter where they live, has a fair chance at improved health,” said Mark Rubinstein, CEO of Hope Air.
This year, Haul for Hope Toronto is part of a six-city national event taking place across Canada. WestJet and Porter Airlines are Presenting Sponsors for 2025, with Porter taking the lead in Eastern Canada as host partner for both the Toronto and St. John’s events.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Location: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Photo Opportunity: (10:00 a.m.): Mark Rubinstein, CEO, Hope Air; Michael Deluce, CEO, Porter Airlines; Warren Askew, VP, Airport, PortsToronto; Cheryl Stone, Chief Strategy Officer, Nieuport Aviation; and a Hope Air patient.
For more information or to register your team, visit hopeair.ca/haul
Hope Air would like to thank all sponsors, hosts and partners including:WestJet as presenting partner in Western Canada.
Porter as presenting partner in Eastern Canada.
YVR and Keyera as site presenting sponsors.
Uber Canada and Pratt & Whitney as Gold Sponsors.
De Havilland, Plusgrade, PortsToronto, Infinite Investment Systems, Nieuport Aviation as Silver Sponsors.
Rogers as Bronze Sponsor.
Hosted by St. John’s International Airport Authority in St. John’s on September 12.
Hosted by Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto on September 13.
YVR as host and site presenting sponsor in Vancouver, hosted at Signature Aviation on September 16.
Hosted by the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna on September 18.
Keyera, Site Presenting Sponsor at YEG in Edmonton on September 22.
Hosted by YYC and Signature Aviation in Calgary on September 24.
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel, accommodations, meals, and ground transportation for Canadians in financial need who must access medical care far from home. Since its founding in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 235,000 travel arrangements for patients across more than 640 communities nationwide.
About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Offering service to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S., with connection opportunities to more than 100 international destinations via our airlines’ networks, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is an important international gateway that will deliver a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility in 2025. The airport is a key driver to Toronto’s economy, generating more than $2.1 billion in total economic output and supporting 4,450 jobs, including 2,080 directly associated with the airport’s operations. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has served its community for more than 85 years from its iconic location on the Toronto waterfront, where it facilitates healthcare for Ontarians by providing a base for medevac services connected to local hospitals. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is committed to achieving its vision of cleaner, greener and quieter operations, and is renowned for its unique travel experience, efficiency, and customer service, having won a host of passenger-driven and environmental achievement awards. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is owned and operated by PortsToronto. Nieuport Aviation owns and operates the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
Media Contacts:
Jodi Lumsden
Director, Marketing Communications
Hope Air
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
Claire Pfeiffer
Senior Manager, Communications
PortsToronto
cpfeiffer@portstoronto.com
Ryan White
Senior Manager, Communications and Community Programs
Nieuport Aviation
ryan.white@nieuport.com
Following the success of last year’s Haul for Hope, which united corporate teams across the region and generated critical funds for patients in need, this year’s event is set to elevate both participation and impact.
Hope Air experienced record-breaking demand in 2024 with 13,721 patient flights across the country, 1,512 of those travelled through YTZ, making it the second most frequently used airport in the country for Hope Air’s services. In 2025 demand for flights is projected to rise another 7%, meaning that the need for community support has never been greater.
PortsToronto and Nieuport Aviation play a vital role in hosting the event.
“Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is uniquely located just minutes from the world-class hospitals, research labs, and trauma centres that define healthcare in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO of PortsToronto. “Its accessibility and strong connections to the regional transportation network make it an ideal gateway for patients and families travelling for care. This is also why Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance service, has maintained a base at the airport for over 40 years. We’re proud to serve as a hub for healthcare in Ontario and to support Hope Air’s critical mission by hosting the annual Haul for Hope.”
Jennifer Quinn, Chief Executive Officer at Nieuport Aviation, says, “Haul for Hope is a remarkable way to showcase what can be achieved when airport partners and the broader Toronto community pull together, literally, for a vital cause. We are proud to support Hope Air’s mission and to ensure that patients travelling through YTZ have the connections they need to access life-saving care.”
20+ teams of 10-12 people will take part in the ultimate test of strength, spirit, and teamwork, working together to raise $100,000 in vital funds for patients in financial need who must travel far from home for healthcare. Last year, Toronto’s event welcomed 18 teams, including international participants, and this year is expected to surpass that milestone.
“Haul for Hope Toronto demonstrates the power of a community united by compassion. Every plane pulled represents the real journeys our patients take when faced with the burden of distance and cost to access medical care. Thanks to the commitment of partners like Porter, PortsToronto and Nieuport Aviation, we can meet the rising demand for our services and make sure that every Canadian, no matter where they live, has a fair chance at improved health,” said Mark Rubinstein, CEO of Hope Air.
This year, Haul for Hope Toronto is part of a six-city national event taking place across Canada. WestJet and Porter Airlines are Presenting Sponsors for 2025, with Porter taking the lead in Eastern Canada as host partner for both the Toronto and St. John’s events.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Location: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Photo Opportunity: (10:00 a.m.): Mark Rubinstein, CEO, Hope Air; Michael Deluce, CEO, Porter Airlines; Warren Askew, VP, Airport, PortsToronto; Cheryl Stone, Chief Strategy Officer, Nieuport Aviation; and a Hope Air patient.
For more information or to register your team, visit hopeair.ca/haul
Hope Air would like to thank all sponsors, hosts and partners including:
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel, accommodations, meals, and ground transportation for Canadians in financial need who must access medical care far from home. Since its founding in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 235,000 travel arrangements for patients across more than 640 communities nationwide.
About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Offering service to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S., with connection opportunities to more than 100 international destinations via our airlines’ networks, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is an important international gateway that will deliver a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility in 2025. The airport is a key driver to Toronto’s economy, generating more than $2.1 billion in total economic output and supporting 4,450 jobs, including 2,080 directly associated with the airport’s operations. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has served its community for more than 85 years from its iconic location on the Toronto waterfront, where it facilitates healthcare for Ontarians by providing a base for medevac services connected to local hospitals. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is committed to achieving its vision of cleaner, greener and quieter operations, and is renowned for its unique travel experience, efficiency, and customer service, having won a host of passenger-driven and environmental achievement awards. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is owned and operated by PortsToronto. Nieuport Aviation owns and operates the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
Media Contacts:
Jodi Lumsden
Director, Marketing Communications
Hope Air
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
Claire Pfeiffer
Senior Manager, Communications
PortsToronto
cpfeiffer@portstoronto.com
Ryan White
Senior Manager, Communications and Community Programs
Nieuport Aviation
ryan.white@nieuport.com