On Feb. 4, 2026, a scheduled arrival from Red Lake, Ontario (YRL) began appearing on the digital flight tracker for St. Theresa Point, Manitoba (YST), showing a new direct connection between the two communities.
The service is listed as operated by Bearskin Airlines, a division of Perimeter Aviation owned by Exchange Income Corporation (EIC). Bearskin announced in January 2026 that it had begun deploying Dash 8 turboprops on select routes; reporting confirms the Dash 8 rollout for some Northern Ontario markets, but the specific aircraft type used on the new Red Lake–St. Theresa Point arrivals has not been independently confirmed.
The direct link provides a more direct route for people and freight between the Island Lake region and Northwestern Ontario, offering an alternative to the longer routes through Winnipeg. Red Lake is roughly 320 km from St. Theresa Point, compared with about 467 km to Winnipeg, and the connection is expected to help reduce freight and perishable-food costs during the 2026 winter road season. (Manitoba increased investment in the winter-road system to $11.3 million in 2025.)
Local leaders have long sought more reliable regional air options, and concerns were heightened after a float‑plane accident near St. Theresa Point on Sept. 13, 2025, that killed four people. The Municipality of Red Lake notes its airport provides year‑round, all‑weather air services that act as a vital staging and medical-transport hub for northern communities.
Notes on verification: the new arrival was observed on Flightradar24’s St. Theresa Point (YST) tracker on Feb. 4, 2026. Bearskin’s Dash 8 introduction on select routes in January 2026 is documented in contemporary reporting; however, explicit confirmation of the aircraft type assigned to the YRL–YST service was not available in the dossier or the cited news reports as of this audit.
