B.C. cancer charity that flies patients to appointments left out of government funding

After a stressful morning, Rob Bonar was at the Victoria Flying Club waiting for his flight home to the Comox Valley.

The 75-year-old has been battling throat cancer, and on Monday, during an appointment with his oncologist in Victoria, he got the news he was hoping for.

“It’s all clear,” said Bonar.

Bonar estimates over the past two years, he has travelled to Victoria for 40 appointments. This trip, he flew to the capital region on an Angel Flight.

“We fly cancer patients to and from their treatment centres,” said Jeff Morris, president and CEO of Angel Flight of British Columbia.

The service assists patients living up and down Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

In its 22 years of existence, Angel Flight has made more than 2,000 return flights, all free of charge to those patients.

“For our pilots, they donate their time and expertise and we reimburse them for their fuel costs only,” said Morris.

Ted Krasowski is one of those volunteer pilots.

“I rent from the Victoria Flying Club,” said Krasowski.

Not owning a plane himself, he rents his wings only getting paid $104 per hour to pay for his fuel. That means he is not only volunteering his time but also his money.

“It’s to help people out,” said Krasowski. “You know, you can go home at night, lay your head on the pillow and say that I helped somebody today.”

Angel Flight of British Columbia is completely funded through donors, run entirely by volunteers.

Last year, the provincial government gave a similar organization called Hope Air, run out of Toronto with many paid staff, $10 million for its B.C. operation. No money was given to support Angel Flight here at home.

“Well I wrote to the B.C. Premier, Mr. (David) Eby,” said Morris.

The CEO also copied B.C.’s Ministry of Health and his local MLA, Adam Olsen.

“It seems like it’s an oversight of this government to not reward that organization,” said Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.

Olsen has been working on the file to pressure the government to be equitable in its support of these types of organizations.

“It is certainly worthy of some sort of investment to make sure that they don’t go away,” said Olsen.

Angel Flight says it isn’t looking for $10 million but some funding would be helpful.

Morris said "half a per cent of the $10 million," or $50,000, would cover the charity's fuel bill for a year.

CTV News asked the Ministry of Health why funding wasn’t provided to Angel Flight of British Columbia, and if it would consider supporting the organization in the future. The ministry didn’t respond by deadline.

In the meantime, Angel Flight says it’s not going away but will just have to work harder convincing its donors to give more to support the much needed charity.

“We will carry on one way or another,” said Morris.