Johnny May facts for kids

Johnny May was born in 1945. He is a Canadian Inuk pilot who lives in Kuujjuaq, Quebec. He is famous for being the very first Inuk pilot in eastern Canada.

Johnny May is known for saving many lives. He flew special planes on search-and-rescue missions. He also used his planes to transport sick people to hospitals. This service is called a medevac. Johnny May is the older brother of Mary Simon, who is currently the Governor General of Canada. The Governor General is like the Queen's representative in Canada.

Meet Johnny May's Family

Johnny May's father was a manager at a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. This was in a place called Fort Severight, which is now Kangiqsualujjuaq. His mother was a local Inuk woman.

Johnny has seven brothers and sisters. His sister, Mary Simon, is very well-known. She used to be the president of Makivik Corporation. She also worked as a diplomat, which means she represented Canada in other countries. Today, she is the Governor General of Canada.

Johnny May's Flying Career

Johnny May earned his pilot's licence in 1962. He trained to fly planes in Pennsylvania. After getting his licence, he started his own company called Johnny May's Air Charters.

He flew many important missions in the Arctic tundra. He helped find people who were lost. He also flew sick people from small Inuit villages to hospitals. Sometimes, he flew them all the way from Nunavik to hospitals in southern Canada. These flights were very important for people living in remote areas.

The Famous Christmas Candy Drop

Johnny May is also famous for a special Christmas tradition. From 1965 until 2019, he would do an annual Christmas candy drop!

Every Christmas Day, he would fly his airplane over the village of Kuujjuaq. He would then drop candy and gifts for everyone below. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays with the community.

Johnny May's Legacy

Johnny May has received many honours for his work.

• In 2010, he was added to the Québec Air and Space Hall of Fame. This is a special place that honours important people in aviation.
• A movie about his life was made in 2014. It is called The Wings of Johnny May. You can watch it in English, French, and Inuktitut.
• A children's book about his candy drop was released in 2015. It is called The Kuujjuaq Christmas Candy Drop by Linda Brand.
• In 2017, a short animated film was made by the CBC. It was called The Great Northern Candy Drop.
• In 2023, another children's picture book came out. It is called The Little Nunavik Airplane / Painngupaali arvitartuq / Le p’tit avion du Nunavik. This book tells the story of Pengo Pally, which is Johnny May's little beaver airplane. The plane takes readers on a tour of the beautiful Nunavik region. It shows the animals and the unique culture of the area. This book was inspired by Johnny May and his amazing contributions to Nunavik.