Ottawa paramedics donate uniforms

MIRIAM HILL

Nunavut’s Search and Rescue teams will be looking spiffier in days to come thanks to paramedics in Ottawa.

Responsibility for ambulance service in Ontario was recently downloaded from the province to municipalities. Uniforms used by the City of Ottawa in the year-long interim period are now on their way North.

Tim O’Neill, a paramedic team leader for Ottawa Emergency Medical Services, said after new uniforms were issued to the paramedics, they came up with the idea to donate the uniforms rather than watch thousands of dollars of equipment go to waste.

Some of the clothing will go to teams in the Caribbean, but the paramedics wanted the heavier items to go North. O’Neill’s brother works on Parliament Hill, and suggested approaching Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell. Her office suggested search and rescue teams in Nunavut would benefit from the items.

Tom Watts, director of Nunavut Emergency Services, was still trying to get a handle on information about the donation, as the process of collecting the used uniforms and packing them took only two weeks, but he said the items are definitely needed.

About 46 boxes containing 277 pairs of pants, 175 winter jackets, 344 white or blue dress shirts, 30 sweaters, and other miscellaneous items are being shipped by First Air to 20 communities in the territory.

Watts said in about half of the communities in Nunavut, search and rescue teams are based in the fire hall, while the others are run from the hunters and trappers associations. Fire departments have gear to wear while fighting fires, but Iqaluit is the only community with dress uniforms.

“If they rip their sweatpants or jeans washing the trucks or doing maintenance, it’s all their own, other than in Iqaluit,” he said.

About 20 students from Nunavut Sivunitsavut in Ottawa took part in a ceremony at the beginning of the month attended by Karetak-Lindell and Northern Affairs Minister Bob Nault, where the uniforms were separated and packed for transportation.

O’Neill said Ottawa paramedics are really interested in Nunavut and he has a map hanging at the base with communities highlighted that received items. He’s hoping the teams will send photos of the uniforms in use.

“This has definitely helped us begin fostering a relationship with the North,” he said.