Hope Air was built on a simple but powerful belief: no patient should be denied access to medical care because of distance or cost.
As Hope Air celebrates 40 years of service, we are proud to recognize co-founders Jinnie Bradshaw and Joan Rogers as Hope Air Patrons, the highest distinction awarded by our charity. This honour reflects their founding vision, their extraordinary leadership, and their lasting impact on improving access to care for patients across Canada.
In the 1980s, Jinnie and Joan independently witnessed the barriers facing Canadians who needed to travel for treatment and knew there had to be a better way.
Joan, a volunteer at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, saw patients arriving from the East Coast after exhausting 15-to-20-hour bus journeys, already burdened by illness and the strain of travel. At the same time, while working at Air Canada, Jinnie learned of a U.S. program using corporate aircraft to transport cancer patients. She was struck by the absence of anything similar in Canada and began to imagine what was possible.
When Jinnie and Joan met in 1986, their shared determination led to the creation of Mission Air Transportation Network, now known as Hope Air. That same year, on November 8, Hope Air arranged its very first flight for a young child travelling from New Brunswick to Toronto for cancer treatment. This marked the beginning of a movement grounded in compassion, innovation, and action.
Their extraordinary commitment to volunteerism and community has been recognized at the highest levels. Jinnie was appointed to the Order of Canada for her lasting impact, while Joan received the Governor General’s Award in recognition of her dedication to improving the lives of patients through volunteer service. These honours reflect not only their individual contributions, but the values that continue to define Hope Air today. Four decades later, their legacy continues to shape the organization they built. From the launch of the Volunteer Pilot Program to the expansion of national partnerships and fundraising initiatives, Hope Air has facilitated more than 275,000 travel arrangements for patients across Canada.
Their impact is measured not only in kilometres travelled or flights arranged, but in lives changed. As we look to the future, Hope Air remains committed to carrying forward their vision, ensuring that distance is no longer a barrier to care and that every Canadian can access the treatment they need, when they need it.
