2025 Northern Lights Award Gala
Impressive Celebration of Achievement

Story by Gord McNulty
November 2025
It was a pleasure to represent the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) at the 16th annual Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Award Gala on October 4, honouring Canadian women who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace. A large gathering of almost 600 people attended the inspiring celebration at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton, ON.
2025 Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Award Gala Programme cover.
Each of the eight award winners was given a package of CAHS Journals and a free one-year membership to the CAHS. The honourees included Samantha Golinski (Business); Jackie Book (Education); Silvia Bianchi (Engineering); Allison Rumbolt (Flight Operations); Nathalie Sleno (Government); Denise Egglestone (Trailblazer); Heather Hills (Rising Star); and Natalie Leung (Rising Star). Each of the recipients spoke about their remarkable careers and their aspirations for those who follow in their footsteps.
2025 Honourees Samantha Golinski and Jackie Book.
Honourees Silvia Bianchi and Allison Rumbolt.
Nathalie Sleno and Denise Egglestone.
Heather Hills and Natalie Leung.
Numerous well-earned scholarships were also presented to women pursuing careers as pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers.
 
The presentation of a new honour - the Captain Christina Thomson Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Scholarship - was among the highlights this year. Capt. Thomson, a WestJet pilot and tireless union representative, was tragically a victim of intimate partner violence in December 2023.
Capt. Christina Thomson ALPA Scholarship.
The scholarship was presented to two deserving women in flight training, Afrah Khan of Edmonton and Elitzka Nikolova of Cambridge, ON. Christina’s older brother, Capt. Ruarri Thomson (Air Canada), and Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada President, presented the scholarship.
 
The CAHS extends congratulations to the Northern Lights Aero Foundation for hosting another exceptional evening. We underline our thanks to all of the generous sponsors, led by title sponsor Air Canada, for recognizing and promoting the aspirations and accomplishments of women in aviation and aerospace across Canada.

 A sample reflecting some of the excellent sponsors' advertisements in the programme follows.