Two Nunavut communities are set to receive refurbished ambulances from municipalities in southern Ontario.

The vehicles are expected to arrive on the coming sealifts.

Cambridge Bay will be getting an ambulance from York, Ont. Kugaaruk, meanwhile, will receive one from Guelph, Ont.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been hoping for something like this for a good many years now,SA国际影视传媒� said Cambridge Bay Fire Chief Keith Morrison, whose department will be in charge of the ambulance.

For many years, Cambridge Bay has been using a cube van for emergency medical transport, generally between the health centre and the medevac pad.

The van was formerly used by the local fire department, so itSA国际影视传媒檚 not just an SA国际影视传媒渆mpty box,SA国际影视传媒� according to Morrison. However, the height of the vehicle makes it difficult for passengers to enter and exit, particularly for people with mobility issues, and when staff are moving patients on stretchers.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not optimal,SA国际影视传媒� Morrison said. SA国际影视传媒� ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit of work to get people in, occasionally. And while it is outfitted, it is fairly bare bones.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not an ambulance.SA国际影视传媒�

Cambridge Bay and Kugaaruk will be receiving their ambulances through an independent program created by John Prno, a retired fire chief from Waterloo, Ont.

The program facilitates the transfer of decommissioned ambulances from Ontario to communities in Nunavut.

Generally speaking, ambulances in Ontario are only used for five years before they are retired. According to Prno, many of them only have about 250,000 kilometres on the odometer by that point.

SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檝e got a lot of life in them, and in Nunavut communities, theySA国际影视传媒檙e not going to put on 50,000 kilometres a year,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檒l be lucky if they put on 500.SA国际影视传媒�

Before the ambulances begin their journey from Ontario to Nunavut, they are cleaned, refurbished, given mechanical checks and new tires, if necessary. Cambridge BaySA国际影视传媒檚 ambulance even received new lettering to reflect its new home.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 like Cambridge Bay is getting a brand new ambulance,SA国际影视传媒� said Prno.

The preparation of each ambulance is handled by the municipality of origin. The emergency vehicles are then driven from Ontario to B茅cancour, Que., by volunteers from St. John Ambulance SA国际影视传媒� a drive taking approximately eight hours. They are then transported to Nunavut on cargo ships. The recipient community is responsible for the cost of shipping.

The municipalities that donate their used ambulances could sell them instead, for close to $20,000, Prno estimates. However, local staff get satisfaction from knowing the vehicles will continue to be used to help people.

SA国际影视传媒淭he chiefs that ISA国际影视传媒檝e worked with over the years have really grabbed onto the fact that weSA国际影视传媒檙e giving a second life to this ambulance instead of letting it become a plumberSA国际影视传媒檚 truck or a French fry truck,SA国际影视传媒� said Prno. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 getting another chance to do what it does best, and what it was designed for.SA国际影视传媒�

His program has been operating since roughly 2015, when he was still working as a fire chief in Waterloo. At the time, he had facilitated the donation of several Ontario ambulances to communities in Africa and Central America, but his son, who worked as a consultant in Nunavut, suggested he look north.

The first ambulance sent to Nunavut landed in Iglulik, with the help of the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 senior administrative officer, Greg Morash. Fourteen other communities expressed interest in receiving ambulances at that time, and 12 of those are now in receipt. The most recent to inherit one was Baker Lake.

Prno also aims to SA国际影视传媒渃ome up with a program that trains medical first responders in the North.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲e were well underway with that, and then Covid hit,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e got to get that started again.SA国际影视传媒�