Heritage Railway & Carousel donates to a crucial cause

Parents and their kids prepare for a fun ride on the "little Lucy Dalton" along North Bay's waterfront. Photo by Tommy Wong.

It was a win-win situation on Saturday as the Heritage Railway and Carousel Company hosted its annual charity day on the waterfront. The kids got to enjoy the rides while the proceeds went to the Near North Palliative Care Network.

The Heritage Railway and Carousel Company annually selects a random charity to donate to each year. And this year the railway's shift captain Barbra Mote was happy to see the Near North Palliative Care Network be the one selected

“I was really glad to see that they were picked,” said Mote.

“They do a very good job and they're needed, very much needed. They just opened up a hospice in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury but there's not one here in North Bay.”

Hospice care has been an ongoing issue throughout the local area.

The Ontario government does not provide any funding for hospice construction, nor will it provide funds to operate the facility, if it is built. The operational costs would be partly covered by the Ministry of Health but not all the costs. There's been plans to build a 10 bed hospice facility in the Nipissing Region but donations are needed.

Mote says she's seen first hand just how important palliative care is and how it can change a person's life. She's worked in nursing for over 35 years and she said the experience was hard to describe.

“It's very sad in a way,” said explained.

“There are an awful lot of people who have nobody. You become very close with the people you look after. They become almost family, so when they pass away, you're sad of course. But then you have to do it again and again and again.”

By talking to Mote, you could never tell that she's been through those experiences. She is very upbeat and it takes a special person to be able to do what she did, especially for 35 years. Although, some people are not made for the job, she said she liked her job.

“I really enjoy working with elderly people,” admitted Barbra.

“I don't know why. There's no reason, there's no story behind it, but I fell into it and discovered I was good at it so I stayed.”

She recalls, when someone wasn't able to get close to the person, because they knew they'd pass away, they'd help in other ways. It was very team oriented and everyone picked up each others slack. Mote believes for there to be a Hospice in North Bay, the city has to come together as a team as well.

For more information on the Near North Palliative Care Network, you can visit their website at http://nnpcn.com/