A Request from PaBIA’s President
As many of you are aware, Pointe au Baril Emergency Response Team (“PaBERT”) disbanded last summer after 10 years of providing excellent and much needed emergency response to our cottagers. We thank all of the PaBERT volunteers for their dedication, time and energy they gave to helping those in need of medical attention.
The disbandment of PaBERT, however, has left a large hole that needs to be filled. Over the past year, PaBIA has looked into various alternatives but thus far, nothing has surfaced as a viable option. Early this spring, the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation, Lynne Atkinson, approached me asking how they could help. As a result we now intend to appeal to the appropriate government bodies for assistance in putting some sort of new emergency response program in place. This begins with a meeting, scheduled for June 22, with the WPSHC Foundation’s representative, Lynne Atkinson, our Councillors, Gary and Ken, representatives from the Township of Carling and PaBERT, Tom Scoon,, PaBIA’s VP and myself.
As part of this appeal, we are reaching out to those of you who had to call on PaBERT for medical attention on your island and/or for transport to the nursing station or Parry Sound Hospital. The intent is to come to the discussion table providing first hand experiences!
We know there are many of you who have had very serious situations resolved due to the help of PaBERT. We would like you to tell your stories, with the hope that they will show clearly why it is so crucial that we have an emergency response program in Pointe au Baril. If you are one of those with a story to tell, or are a relative of someone with a PaBERT experience, please take a few moments to write down in your own words what occurred and email it to Julia. It can be submitted anonymously or not. It doesn’t need to be long, or eloquent; the facts will speak for themselves.
Thank you, Julia
