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From YouTube: MARCH 11 2021 Statements Tom Shypitka
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
A
Member
for
kootenai
east,
mr
speaker
as
I've
stayed
in
this
house
on
numerous
occasions.
Access
to
health
care
in
my
riding
of
putin
east
is
difficult
to
save
the
least
at
one
time.
A
simple
two
to
three
hour
drive
to
alberta
has
been
eliminated
as
an
option,
and
now
costly
and
impractical
options
are
to
find
your
way
over.
Several
mountain
passes
and
11
to
12
13
hour
drive
times
if
you're
lucky,
but
there's
good
news
in
this
story.
A
Mr
speaker,
a
service
has
been
created
that
provides
air
transportation
at
no
cost
to
patients
requiring
urgent
care
angel
flight.
East
kootenay
was
founded
in
2019
by
brent,
bidston
president
and
lead
pilot
together
with
his
wife
and
partner,
janet
bitston
and
fellow
pilot
todd
wesley
lake.
This
small
but
mighty
team
of
volunteers
have
helped
over
120
patients
from
the
east
kootenays
access
much
needed
medical
care
in
kelowna,
since
it
was
founded
and
identifying
a
gap
in
services.
Angel
flight
has
now
grown
from
kootenay
east
to
nelson
creston
and
in
vermeer
areas.
A
Last
friday,
the
director
of
the
regional
district
of
these
kootenais
voted
unanimously
in
favor
to
fund
angel
flight
east
kootenay.
With
a
sustainable,
500
000
pledge
to
greatly
assist
this
game-changing
not-for-profit
organization,
this
money
will
greatly
improve
reliability
and
safety
by
purchasing
a
more
capable
aircraft
which
will
hopefully
include
twin
engines
with
pressurized
cabins
and
anti-icing
capabilities.
A
Improving
reliability
will
give
angelflight
more
options
for
patient
transportation,
including
less
cancellations
to
due
to
volatile
weather
conditions
and
quicker
delivery
time
that
said,
koon,
east
and
other
jurisdictions
like
columbia,
river
rebel
stoke
still
have
a
mountain
to
climb
on
getting
access
to
health
care
without
financial
and
geographical
barriers.
We
need
to
do
better
to
assure
our
citizens
that
they
will
not
be
forgotten
in
their
greatest
time
of
need.
I
would
like
to
thank
and
congratulate
the
team
at
angel
flight
east
kootenay
for
their
accomplishments
so
far
and
their
valued
service.