Exceptional individuals recognized for outstanding contributions to paramedicine

[gallery size="medium" link="file" ids="16548,16549,16550"] At our annual Honours and Awards Dinner and Ceremony held at Blue Mountain on September 28, 2023, we were pleased to hand out three special awards to deserving recipients. The awards included the OAPC Humanitarian Award, the Richard J. Armstrong Leadership Award for outstanding leadership and the OAPC President's Award for significant contributions to paramedicine in Ontario. The OAPC Humanitarian Award recipient is: Jackie Ussher of Perth County Paramedic Service The Richard J. Armstrong Leadership Award recipient is: Chief Tom Reid of...

Inaugural wish granted out of OAPC “Wishes Forever” Make-a-Wish Canada® Legacy Fund

Thanks to the generous donations and fundraising efforts of our members, we're pleased to announce that we have been able to grant our first Make-a-Wish Canada® legacy fund wish to Ivy, a resilient 9-year-old leukemia survivor from Clayton, Ontario. For over a decade, the OAPC, in collaboration with its member paramedic services across Ontario, have been raising money for Make-A-Wish Canada® through the OAPC “Wishes Forever” legacy fund. The objective was to amass a capital trust fund of $250,000; the interest...

Celebrating Paramedic Services Recognition Day: Wrapping up a memorable Paramedic Services Week 2023 

Today is the last day of Paramedic Services Week 2023, which has been all about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in paramedicine.     Each day of the week had a specific theme aimed at encouraging conversations about what inclusivity and cultural competence looks like within the profession.  “Paramedic services’ approach to diversity is simple. It's about embracing everyone within the service and their communities,” OAPC President Peter F. Dundas says. “By cultivating a culture where all employees can bring their best selves to work, to deploying...

Marking a Milestone: Ontario Awards First Medal for Paramedic Bravery

We’re thrilled to announce that the Ontario government has presented 10 paramedics from across the province with the inaugural Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery. This marks an important milestone as it’s the first time paramedics have been recognized in this way. The medals were given out at a special ceremony held at Queen's Park last night. The paramedics were honoured for their extraordinary acts of bravery, such as moving a crashed plane to rescue passengers, diving into Lake Ontario to save...

Paramedic Services Week 2023 – A Message from OAPC President Michael Sanderson

To mark the beginning of Paramedic Services Week 2023 (May 21-27), OAPC President Chief Michael Sanderson has recorded a video thanking paramedics and reflecting on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within the profession.  “As I was reminded a few weeks ago, to always remember, nothing for us without us, words that apply across our entire community,” he said. “Happy Paramedic Services Week. Thank you for your service and please keep up the excellent work you do on a daily basis.”     The theme...