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WE-CAN Client Profile: Maureen Shemrock is the owner of , a Kingston-based company empowering individuals through training and the professional use of Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). Shemrock is also a participant in the Kwe-Biz Program for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs delivered by (led by Shyra [President] and Rye [Vice-President] Barberstock) as part of the WE-CAN Project led by Queen’s University.

Ombaashi Applied Technologies, a division of AirTech UAV Solutions Inc., is an Indigenous-owned small business that combines a passion for the innovative use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (also known as UAVs or drones) and their application within a number of key sectors.

The company’s name includes the Ojibwe word “ombaashi” which can be translated as “lifted by the wind”.

“The core of our business is to use technology and UAVs to empower others,” shares Shemrock. “We enjoy helping our clients deploy innovative technologies as more groups find novel applications for remote vehicles.”

“UAVs can improve safety by taking the person out of the area but not out of the equation,” says Shemrock. UAV technology can be especially useful in monitoring wildlife and assisting with potentially dangerous jobs like forest fires. The company’s technologies have been deployed everywhere from Alaska to the Labrador Coast and all environments and industries in between.

What makes Ombaashi Applied Technologies stand out, Shemrock says, is the company’s leading-edge training programs surrounding UAV technology. These training programs enable individuals in their current roles as well as providing opportunities for participants to pursue a new career in this rapidly developing sector.

Ombaashi Applied Technologies currently serves a high percentage of government employees, academic researchers, and entrepreneurs who require an Advanced RPAS Pilot Certification as part of Transport Canada licensing requirements.

In addition, the company is in the process of working to offer its training through accredited college certification programs within northern and eastern Ontario, with a focus on serving the resource sector, including mining, forestry, and agriculture, as well as incumbent worker upgrade training.

“While I currently live in beautiful Kingston, I was raised in Sioux Narrows, Ontario, located along the eastern shore of Lake of the Woods within the Treaty 3 area,” Shemrock notes. “It is my strong desire to empower small rural and First Nation community members. I look forward to our company’s growth, offering employment positions and contributing to the expansion of the RPAS industry.”

Recently Shemrock participated in the Kwe-Biz Program, which was specifically designed to help Indigenous women entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. Kwe-Biz participants were coached by Indigenous instructors on topics such as entrepreneurship basics, finance for business, marketing, and e-business.

“As a female, Indigenous entrepreneur I have been fortunate to attend workshops through Kwe-Biz. I highly recommend reaching out to the facilitators for a list of any potential future workshops. Each event has been packed with knowledge, resources, and support while being offered at ideal online times.”

To learn more about Ombaashi Applied Technologies and how to work with the company, .

The WE-CAN Project was led by Queen’s University and funded in part by FedDev Ontario through the . which helps to address gaps and build capacity in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for women. Led by QPI, the WE-CAN (Women Entrepreneurs Can) Project inspires and empowers existing and aspiring women-identifying entrepreneurs by providing them with tools, resources, expert mentors, networks and community building to expand existing businesses and to launch new ventures. Okwaho Equal Source, a local and global agency focused on enabling access to relevant programming for Indigenous entrepreneurs, was a partner of the WES-enabled WE-CAN Project, which concluded on March 31, 2023, and provided the delivery of culturally appropriate and meaningful acceleration programming for Indigenous women entrepreneurs. For the period spanning April 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation is continuing to offer general programs and services to support women-identifying entrepreneurs in the greater Kingston and Bay of Quinte regions, while seeking funding to expand its offerings.