ABOYNE – On May 12, the “Essential Workers Thank You Tour” made its first stop at Groves Memorial Community Hospital.
The tour was organized by Jeff Lambier from Ivan Armstrong Trucking, with help from Kirk MacDonald of the OPP and Alison Armstrong, manager of communications and stakeholder relations with the Wellington Health Care Alliance.
The tour is billed as a ‘rolling tribute’ to essential workers across Wellington County. A 53-foot trailer was designed with graphics on it that celebrate essential workers. The truck carries a message of thanks to all essential workers, including police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and truckers, for the work they have been doing during the pandemic. Lettering on the trailer reads “ESSENTIAL – for now and always. Thank You to all our Essential Workers!”
Many of the community’s essential workers gathered around the truck on May 12, including nurses and other hospital staff, police officers, and fire fighters.
Ivan Armstrong Trucking is a member of the Fleet Safety Council that helped put the trailer together. The idea behind the ‘essential trailer’ originated from NAL Insurance.
Since July 2020, this trailer has been used in numerous ways and locations across the province such as NAL Insurance’s “Thank a Trucker program” which goes towards feeding truck drivers at various events and equipping them with personal protective equipment.
Lambier said the tour is an opportunity to show all essential workers appreciation for their efforts.
“This is a perfect time to do this, with this week being National Nurses Week and National Police Week,” Lambier said.
“But this also gives us a chance to recognize all of the essential truck drivers.”
Lambier called the design on the truck a “huge 53-foot thank you” and was thrilled with how Wednesday’s stop in Fergus turned out.
“It was great to see the representatives from all the different departments within the hospital, Centre Wellington Fire, and of course the OPP. It’s just magnificent.”
Lambier said he believes it’s important to show essential workers how greatly their work is appreciated.
“When we had the opportunity to have this trailer in order to recognize our essential truck drivers, we thought we’d really be remised if we didn’t get it out in the community.”
“Special thanks to Kirk MacDonald with the OPP and Alison (Armstrong) from the hospital, who helped put this whole thing together and organized it,” Lambier added.
Kirk MacDonald was also thrilled about the event.
“I think it’s such a wonderful gesture by Ivan Armstrong Trucking,” he said.
“It’s certainly a moving tribute, not just for us, but for all the essential workers.”
MacDonald said a simple gesture like this can have a profound impact on people, after a year of being bombarded with bad news.
MacDonald also expressed appreciation for essential workers who do not often receive appreciation for their efforts.
“To me, it’s not just about those that wear the uniform. We also have to recognize the people that are getting paid minimum wage that are providing us food, deliveries, and things that get unnoticed.”
Jill Schitka, who is vice president of clinical services and chief nursing executive with the Wellington Health Care Alliance, also attended the event.
“Not only is the truck representative of the different essential workers that we all need to get through this pandemic, but the fact that they could come out and participate with us was great,” Schitka said.
“It’s really good to feel that community pull, together.”
Schitka said community events like this one help to boost essential worker’s morale, when pandemic fatigue has set in.
“To have people from the community continue to show this kind of support for essential workers this far into the pandemic is remarkable. It really means a lot.”
Natasha Leblanc, a registered nurse in the operating room at Groves Memorial Community Hospital, also thought the event helped to boost morale.
“It definitely lightens the mood and reminds us why we’re doing what we do,” she said.
“It’s really nice to have Armstrong (Trucking) come out. It’s more of a community spirit collaboration, and something to boost our morale, especially during Nurses Week.”
Throughout the week of May 10-17, the truck will be visiting other locations in Wellington County, paying homage to front-line essential workers. On Thursday, the truck will travel to the Palmerston and District Hospital and on Friday will appear at the Mount Forest Fire Station.
