Ste Anne Hospital heliport volunteers named for provincial award

A group of volunteers who monitor Ste Anne Hospital’s heliport have received provincial recognition for their role in saving lives.

Twelve volunteers through the non-profit Ste Anne Hospital Fund that inspect the STARS Air Ambulance landing pad were nominated for the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award in January and will receive the award later this month as part of Volunteer Manitoba’s 42nd Annual Volunteer Awards.

Robert Rivard, who has volunteered since the group was formed in 2023, wasn’t expecting any recognition for the teams’ work.

“It’s great that we could get involved, that we were allowed to do it and that we have enough volunteers to cover all the different days that needs to be done,” he said. “And just for me, it’s a great opportunity. I really enjoy it.”

While larger health centres have dedicated staff to handle the helicopters, the Ste Anne Hospital is the only health centre heliport in Manitoba that uses volunteers to keep it running.

The $300,000 heliport was built in 2019. Firefighters from the Ste Anne Fire Department were previously responsible for the inspections until 2023 when volunteers took over the role. Volunteers must take a course and pass a test, to follow Transport Canada protocols for maintaining heliports.

Every week, one volunteer is on call for evening and weekend shifts, with another assigned as back-up if needed. Hospital maintenance staff handle the weekday daytime shifts.

The volunteer responsibilities include doing daily inspections of the landing pad, windsock and lighting to make sure it follows Transport Canada standards.

Rivard began volunteering when he moved back to Ste Anne and was in search of ways to serve the community.

While the day-to-day inspections are crucial, the 69-year-old Seine River School Division trustee said the most fulfilling moments are when he gets the call that a helicopter is enroute.

Volunteers must get to the pad in eight minutes whenever a helicopter is dispatched. Tasks such as ensuring the heliport door to the hospital is unlocked can shave minutes off emergency response times.

Since his first shift, Rivard has dealt with three helicopters landing. He views his role as “very rewarding” when helping people get the treatment they need.

“You’re going to be involved with possibly saving somebody. I mean, we don’t do a big part, but we are involved in it,” he said.

Marc Charrière, executive director for the Ste Anne Hospital Fund, said the award recognition is “huge” for the group.

Charrière and his wife Lisa submitted the award nomination for the group, which was also endorsed by Ste Anne Police Service Chief Marc Robichaud and Ste Anne Fire Department Chief Robert Saindon.

“We found that these people deserve some recognition because they are the ones who are always there, whether it’s -40 C outside or whatever it may be. They’re out there making sure those inspections are done,” Charrière said.

The volunteers are necessary because if the inspections don’t happen, the heliport would be shut down, blocking helicopters from landing, he noted.

Volunteers have put in roughly 18,000 hours of on-call surveillance and 156 hours of inspections since 2023. Helicopters land at the hospital five to 15 times per year.

Charrière said the group is always looking for more volunteers to bolster their numbers.

When selecting winners for the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award, the selection jury searches for groups and individuals who go above and beyond in their volunteer work to help their community, said Ashley Seymour, executive director for Volunteer Manitoba.

The hours worked and lives saved through the heliport volunteers’ work prove how they’ve helped Ste Anne, she said.

“They’ve been doing this volunteer work for a number of years, and it really has made an impact. So we’re just really excited to celebrate them in a few weeks,” Seymour said.

The non-profit group received nearly 140 award nominations for its eight categories, selecting only 20 winners, she said.

Premier Wab Kinew, in an email statement, commended the heliport volunteers for providing the “essential support” for emergency care.

“By assisting with safe arrivals for air ambulances like STARS Air Ambulance and remaining ready to respond at any hour, they help ensure patients can be transported quickly and safely when every minute counts. Their dedication is a powerful example of how volunteers in our province showcase the very best of Manitoba,” he said.

The volunteers receiving the award are Dr. Paul de Moissac, Raymond LaFlèche, Amanda Scott, Chris Coulson, Daniel Bernard, Denise St-Vincent, Joel Dornez, Phil Miron, Randy Taman, Robert Rivard, Ted Sheppard and Mike Bernier.

Award recipients will be honoured at the Volunteer Manitoba celebration on April 30, hosted at Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg. Tickets cost $100 and sales close on April 22 at 3 p.m.

To register, go to www.volunteermanitoba.ca/awards.php.