Saint John native Kendra Kincade, in her own words, had a rough childhood and aviation changed her life.

Now, she wants to showcase women in the aviation industry who’ve broken down barriers and stereotypes with a documentary.

After being introduced to a career as an air traffic controller, Kincade took training in Cornwall, Ont., and Edmonton, Alta., where she currently works for NAV CANADA.

In 2015, she founded Elevate Aviation, a platform that provides women and underrepresented groups with programs for mentorships, bursaries, and a partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Force to thrive and succeed through careers in aviation.

“In 2018, Elevate Aviation received its first national funding grant to study why women didn’t look at aviation as a career, and from that came fliers in high school to making a documentary or movie, and at the time I kind of laughed and thought that would never happen, but couldn’t get the documentary out of my mind, ” said Kincade.

After being told about the long process of making a documentary, she was boarding a plane one day and traded seats with someone sitting in the middle seat. Kincade started chatting about her dream of making a documentary with Don McDonald, the CEO of Super Channel Entertainment Network, who gave her a broadcast licence and funding when they landed.

Kincade used the funding to launch Taking Flight Production and wrote and directed Only Up.

Only Up showcases the many careers in aviation and the different female personalities that broke those stereotypes, including Kincade’s story that got her into the world of aviation.

“I’m really hoping the people who watch can become inspired by the women we feature in this movie to believe they can do whatever they want,” said Kincade.

The Saint John premiere of Only Up will take place at BMO Studio Theatre at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The free event also includes a Q&A with Kincade.

More details, including tickets, can be found by clicking here.