featured-image

For the past 20 years, the remote Dempster Highway community of Eagle Plains, Yukon, had an on-call ambulance — but not anymore. Whenever there was an accident that required immediate medical attention, the ambulance would be driven by workers at the Yukon Government highway maintenance camp, located at the Eagle Plains Hotel. The camp's foreman was a trained emergency responder, and she would provide the medical care needed until a medivac helicopter arrived.

But since the foreman left Eagle Plains, the ambulance has sat parked in one of the camp's garages. "We haven't got a replacement for that role," said Stan McNevin, owner of the Eagle Plains Hotel. "We're hoping that once a new foreman is appointed, or brought to Eagle, then that individual will have those skills.



" McNevin said the ambulance is needed now more than ever as there's been numerous accidents along the Dempster Highway this summer. Last month there were two separate motorcycle accidents that occurred days apart. One of those accidents claimed the life of a man .

"I believe it's absolutely essential because of the increase, particularly in the motorbike traffic," McNevin said of the local ambulance service. "We're seeing a lot more incidents on the road. Not necessarily in our section.

Of course it happens in the N.W.T.

and in the southern part of the Dempster, so the whole road needs some type of medical ability to help these people along." McNevin said there was another motorcycle accident on the highway .

Back to Fashion Page