Since 2007, WestJet and BGC Canada have partnered to transform the experiences of young people and staff from clubs across the country.
Hope Air
Hope Air ensures Canadians can access medical care by providing flights when travel is a barrier. WestJet is proud to support this mission by helping patients and families reach life‑changing care.
How we support
Through the gift of flight, WestJet helps Canadians connect children and their families to specialized medical care, removing barriers to accessing treatments for cancer, heart disease, arthritis and many other health issues. By providing efficient, comfortable and stress-free travel, Hope Air and WestJet allow patients and their families to focus their energy on their health.
Initiatives and highlights
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Haul for Hope
In 2025, WestJet proudly returned for its second year as the Presenting Partner for Haul for Hope across Western Canada, reinforcing its commitment to helping Canadians access essential medical care. Building on the momentum of its inaugural year, WestJet once again supported events in Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, and Vancouver — bringing teams together, providing aircraft for the signature plane pull, and amplifying Hope Air’s mission to remove travel as a barrier to health.
WestJetters raised just under $60,000, helping ensure the barrier of cost is removed for Canadians and their families so they can focus on what matters most — getting better.
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In for the long haul: Bringing Canadians closer to the healthcare they deserve
WestJet’s inaugural year supporting Haul for Hope in 2024 marked a meaningful expansion of its long‑standing partnership with Hope Air. As the presenting sponsor in Western Canada, WestJet was proud to support this initiative by providing a Q400 for teams to pull in Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, and Vancouver. This first year of involvement strengthened WestJet’s commitment to removing travel as an obstacle to health, building on a partnership that has already enabled thousands of Canadians to reach the care they need.
We are grateful to the WestJetters who raised an impressive $28,872 for this incredible cause, as well as those who participated, volunteered, and worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of this initiative.
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Patient stories
When Rowan was two years old, he was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), a chronic and painful disorder where Rowan’s immune system attacks cells and tissues in his joints. To get the specialized treatment Rowan needed, his family was required to visit B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver every three months. The four-hour drive from their home in Kelowna was long and uncomfortable for Rowan. WestJet flights made the journey much shorter, easier, and more comfortable for him. “We couldn’t imagine not having Hope Air,” Rowan’s mom, Katie, says. “It’s honestly just been amazing."
When Kalena was seven years old, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes irritation, inflammation and painful ulcers in the lining of the large intestine.
Kalena’s treatment meant returning to the hospital for up to three days every eight weeks. The 12-hour drive between Prince George and Vancouver is long and particularly uncomfortable for a child who is not feeling well. Thankfully, the hospital staff told Kalena’s mom, Kathy, about Hope Air.
“Our experiences have always been amazing. WestJet took really good care of us, and we just couldn’t have done it without Hope Air,” says Kathy. Thanks to Hope Air and WestJet, Kalena was able to access her regular treatments and is now in remission.
One day when Henry was too tired to play, his mother took him to the local hospital. Mom, Bristol, was heartbroken to learn that her eight-year-old boy had leukemia. Then they were told they would have to travel to regular chemotherapy treatments in Vancouver — a ten-hour round-trip drive away from their home in Kelowna, B.C. She didn’t have the means to fly him regularly to care, so she contacted Hope Air for help. After many flights with WestJet to his treatments, Henry is now in remission, but he will still need to travel to Vancouver every three months for the next four years. “With Hope Air, we were able to come home in between chemo treatments,” says Bristol. “Driving such a long distance would have been too much for Henry during that time.
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel and accommodations for Canadians in financial need who must access medical care far from home. Since its inception in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 155,000 travel arrangements for patients inclusive of all ages and medical needs.
For people living on a low income in small and rural communities, distance and cost are very real barriers to accessing vital medical care. Hope Air is a unique and essential part of our Canadian healthcare system. Without the access Hope Air provides, our national system of universal healthcare coverage would fall short of its promise.
"My son Reed was born with a double inlet left ventricle (DILV), meaning half a heart. The doctors told me that without surgery he wouldn’t live to be ten days old. The whole thing was a blur. At first, it didn’t even register that I would need to travel to Edmonton. I just knew that whatever he needed, I was willing to do. I started renting a car and driving back and forth, but costs added up quickly and winter conditions made for unsafe and long trips. Then, Hope Air and the WestJet Cares for Kids program stepped in.I grew up flying with WestJet and have continued to fly with them as my airline of choice. You can tell they are genuine people and are very personable. They have been amazing with us. I even bought Reed a toy WestJet plane because he loves watching airplanes in the sky."
— Hope Air aid recipient Courtney, Calgary resident and single mother of Reed (now 5 years old)
Hope Air articles from our Newsroom
Get to know our other national partners
WestJet’s national partners are charity organizations that serve communities and families across Canada and the world.
BGC Canada serves Canadian youth by providing safe and supportive spaces for them to build positive relationships, confidence, and life-skills. Their work focuses on advocating for and supporting at-risk youth, including youth in Indigenous communities, youth struggling with mental health challenges and youth living in poverty.
The Canadian Cancer Society’s (CCS) mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. CCS is the only national charity that supports all Canadians living with all cancers across the country. They are committed to improving and saving lives, and advocate to governments on important cancer-related issues and policies on behalf of those affected by cancer.
LiveDifferent’s passion is making a difference in people’s lives. Through their youth empowerment, humanitarian build programs, including the WestJet LiveDifferent Build, and leadership development opportunities, they have inspired thousands of people to create positive change in communities on both a national and international scale.
Make-A-Wish® Canada (MAW) creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey, and research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness.
The Missing Children Society of Canada supports the safe recovery of missing and vulnerable people through coordinated public awareness, investigative support, and family services.
Ronald McDonald House® Canada gives families a place to stay together while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital. Their network of Canadian programs helps to keep more than 26,000 families close to their sick child, and the care they need each year.