The Canadian Paramedic Memorial Bell paid a visit to Perth County.
The bell stopped by on September 10th, making a visit to the Perth County Paramedic headquarters located on Douro Street in Stratford. The bell was built in 2015 by Ottawa paramedic Michael Dunlop, who designed it as a national symbol honouring paramedics who have died in the line of duty.
Usually the bell is housed in Ottawa and a large ceremony is held to annually honour the names of the fallen, but due to COVID-19, the bell is now travelling across Ontario, visiting all 52 land and air ambulances services in Ontario. At the Stratford ceremony, the names of 50 fallen paramedics were read aloud and the bell was rung.
Jim Aitcheson, the Warden of Perth County, says “We are thankful for the work of Perth County paramedics in our community each day. Working alongside colleagues from neighbouring communities, it is important to honour those whose lives were lost in the line of duty.”
The Chief of Perth County Paramedic Services, Mike Adair, adds “We were honoured to have the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Bell visit our headquarters today. The Paramedic community is close-knit and it is important to come together to honour those who have fallen in the line of duty.”
Perth County's Interim CAO, Lori Wolfe, says “We were privileged to host the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Bell here today. Paramedicine continues to have a positive impact on the communities we serve in Perth County. We are proud of the leadership Perth County Paramedics have shown during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We recognize the risk they take each day and see the importance of honouring those from the profession who have lost their lives in service to others.”