Northern Ontario First Nations will be invited to participate in a drone delivery pilot project.

THUNDER BAY -- A Toronto company working on a drone delivery platform believes it could bring benefits to remote northern Ontario First Nations.

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) earlier this year identified Thunder Bay as one potential base for operating drones that would deliver cargos of up to 10 pounds.

Now DDC has announced an agreement with the Pontiac Group, an aboriginal socioeconomic development organization, to help with the rollout of its drone logistic solution.

"With more than 1.4 million people in Canada identifying themselves as an Indigenous person, this is a very large market for us where both the demand and benefits from employing drone delivery solutions in these remote communities is very significant," said CEO Tony Di Benedetto in a news release.

The Pontiac Group will advise DDC in developing a pilot project in northern Ontario where DDC says over 33 First Nations communities are currently only accessible by ice road, boat, helicopter and all-terrain vehicles.

The statement indicated that the Pontiac Group will work through local Chiefs and band councils. Pontiac spokesperson Jacob Taylor said "The ability of drone technology to assist remote communities in accessing commodities, particularly medical supplies, monitoring natural systems, and conducting search and rescue missions will be revolutionary."

DDC has been testing its technology in the Kitchener-Waterloo area with some commercial partners, and is moving the testing process to a Transport Canada-approved test range in Alberta.