The rafters of Muskoka Paramedic Services’ (MPS) headquarters on Taylor Rd. in Bracebridge now honour 349 years of paramedic excellence.
Nine retired paramedics were on-hand Thursday to see banners with their names and the number of years they worked as a paramedic raised to the ceiling of the building at 225 Taylor Rd.
The initial nine banners are for:
- Mark McLennan who was a paramedic for 33 years between 1990 and 2023.
- Daniel Armour for 35 years between 1987 and 2022.
- Robert Goodfellow for 37 years between 1981 and 2018.
- Stephen Webb for 37 years between 1986 and 2023.
- Kenneth McCaskie for 38 years between 1981 and 2019.
- David Gravelle for 38 years between 1983 and 2021.
- Steve Mahon for 40 years between 1983 and 2024.
- Juergen Gerich for 41 years between 1980 and 2021.
- Jerry Barnes for 50 years between 1971 and 2021.
Jeff McWilliam, chief of MPS, said the initial honourees responded to 317,590 calls, lifted 1,587,950 patients which, assuming they weigh an average of 180 lbs., amounts to 285,831,000 lbs.
“The banners will serve as a physical reminder of your commitment to the paramedic profession in Muskoka and those that you served,” said McWilliam. “The lives of patients and paramedics you impacted is commendable and it’s something you should be proud of.”
He noted that Barnes five decades of service with MPS makes him the only paramedic to work for them that long.
“This is a spectacular honour,” said Barnes who, like many of the retirees, was joined by some of his family at the ceremony.
He added he hopes the banners, which are placed so that they’re one of the last things first responders see when they leave for a call, inspire current and future first responders about the important role they play in the community. “You want to give the younger, new employees the best opportunities you can to succeed in this industry because it’s not an easy industry to work in,” continued Barnes.
Barnes said it’s incredible to see how the service has improved since he started in 1971. “It grows every year, still, and hopefully will continue with community paramedicine,” he shared.
In his remarks, McWilliam credited Vince Tremblay for coming up with the idea. “I don’t know if he even fully explained it before I said ‘yes’ and we got to work,” he joked.
There will be more banners added, but McWilliam explained they have spent at least 32 years in paramedicine, 10 of them with MPS. It’s in line with the service medal offered by the province. McWilliam says it starts at 12 and a new bar is added every 10 years.
Julie Stevens, chief administrative officer for the District of Muskoka, and Terry Glover, mayor of the Township of Lake of Bays and chair of the district’s Health Services Committee, also expressed their gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of hours the honourees spent on the road.
“You have been responding to calls from both my grandmother and my father in the last five years,” said Stevens, adding she knows the incredible care they got is the same level of service everyone in Muskoka gets.
Glover shared how the honour is a credit to the first responders’ families. He said it takes “courage and compassion” for a paramedic to respond to a call when “it’s thirty below in an ice storm on a busy highway” and that goes for their family, too. He added first responders will always have his respect.
“I love these banners,” he joked. “It’s like we’ve won the Stanley Cup.
Jeff Lehman, district chair, pointed out that some of the paramedics didn’t start their careers in Muskoka but added how grateful he – and all of Muskoka – is that they shared their knowledge and supported the district.
“You were there for residents on their most difficult days,” he said.
McWilliam shared how the retirement row banners are just one of the ways MPS shows gratitude to the paramedics that paved the way for the future generations.
“MPS is a better place because of your contributions,” finished McWilliam.
