On June 11, 2018, while Joe McBryan was on a trip to Alberta, his son and daughter Julie McBryan orchestrated a boardroom coup. With the support of the company’s board of directors (which included Joe’s other son, Rod, and long-time lawyer, Bob Duggan), they voted to remove Joe as president and director of Buffalo Airways. They also removed him from the boards of several associated companies.
As for Joe McBryan: He is no longer involved with the company he founded. According to multiple sources and occasional social media updates from family members (particularly his daughter-in-law, who has been critical of Mikey and Julie), Joe lives a relatively quiet life in the Northwest Territories. He is in his late 70s (born 1946) and is reportedly in fragile health.
argues that they had no choice. They claim they were trying to save the airline from a founder who was, due to age and health, becoming a danger to himself, his employees, and the public. Flying heavy, antique aircraft in the Arctic is merciless, and a single cognitive lapse could kill people. From this perspective, the coup was an act of tough love and corporate responsibility. what happened to joe mcbryan
Adam McBryan, the youngest son, has remained largely neutral but appears to have a strained relationship with Mikey. In interviews, Adam has hinted that the family may never fully recover. This is where public opinion divides sharply.
Joe’s legal filing painted a dark picture of betrayal. He claimed that Mikey and Julie had used his heart attack as an opportunity to sideline him, that they had changed locks and passwords without his knowledge, and that they had even removed personal photographs from his office. The lawsuit became a bitter, public, and very expensive family feud. Mikey and Julie did not just defend themselves; they counter-sued. Their legal filings included affidavits from employees, business associates, and even former medical professionals who alleged that Joe’s behavior had become erratic and dangerous. On June 11, 2018, while Joe McBryan was
The answer is not a simple one. It involves a bitter family feud, a corporate coup, allegations of cognitive decline, and a legal battle that tore apart one of Canada’s most famous aviation dynasties. If you’ve been searching for answers about Joe McBryan’s disappearance from the public eye, his health, and his current status, here is the complete, detailed story. Before we discuss his downfall, it’s essential to understand the man. Joe McBryan started Buffalo Airways in 1970 in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airline specialized in hauling fuel, freight, and passengers to remote Arctic communities using WWII-era piston-engine aircraft. Joe was a mechanical genius and a fearless pilot who became a living legend in northern Canada.
For those who admired him, Buffalo Joe will always be the man who kept the piston engines roaring in the Arctic night. But today, the roar has faded. And the man who once ruled the northern skies is now watching from the ground, a living ghost of the airline he built. Note: As with all private legal and medical matters, information is based on public court records, news reports from Canadian media (CBC, Edmonton Journal), statements from family members, and fan investigations. Joe McBryan and the McBryan family have not issued a joint public statement since the settlement. As for Joe McBryan: He is no longer
Within weeks, Joe filed a lawsuit against his children, the board members, and the company. His statement of claim alleged Joe claimed that his children had plotted behind his back, manipulated the board, and stolen the company from him. He argued that he was still perfectly capable of running Buffalo Airways and that the claims of mental incapacity were a pretext for a power grab.