It’s hard to put into words what the last six years on Council have meant to me. It has been very rewarding, and I have learned so much from all of you. I have made no bones about the reasons that I ran for election in 2018. I was frustrated with a lack of transparency and no clear process to how things were done.
I feel strongly that many of the areas we needed to improve on at that time, we have. But what I also learned was that sometimes when things happen quietly or in the background, we have a tendency to believe if you don’t see it – it didn’t happen. At the time, I didn’t see how much work the Council was putting into changing the transparency and I also didn’t realize the intricate dynamic of how the board works with the public and its members.
It should come as no surprise that the registration fees were at the top of my list of complaints, as they were for many of you. It is a common theme among the regulated members on Council – its what pushed many of us to join the board.
I’m incredibly proud to see the progress we have made and especially having the ability to lower the fees over the last few years. Over the last three years, the fees have dropped from $525 to $499.
It feels fitting and complete that my final announcement as President is that we have approved another fee decrease of $29 bringing the total of the registration fees to $470.
As I have said before, it is important to Council that when approving any decreases, we do so with the financial stability to maintain the new rate for the next few years and this decrease is no exception. I hope that this will continue to serve as a reminder of our ongoing commitment to provide support wherever we can.
Another positive is that the establishment of a Fee Freeze Fund was approved. What this means is that any surplus over and above a set amount determined by Council, will go into this fund, and as long as there is a balance in it, we are committed to either keeping registration fees the same or lowering them whenever possible, with the goal to have this last over the next few years to come.
In this role, I have had the privilege to work and learn under three amazing former Presidents. I have had the pleasure of connecting with more fellow paramedics than I have ever worked alongside with. I know that Council will be left in very capable hands and I’m very proud to say that we have a CEO and a Registrar that will do everything they can to support Council and all their amazing staff. I honestly wish that I was just starting out again and could work with them all for another six years.
I have a great deal of respect for those who work in our profession. We go to work sick, tired, drained and emotionally scarred. We miss birthdays, holidays, special events and spend a lot of time away from our families. And much of it can feel like a thankless job. But out of all the hard times comes the strong bonds and new families we create with one another. When I was in the army, I was always told that nothing can break the bond formed in battle. I see this in our job every day. We are a special breed who deal with life altering events every day. It is because of that that we are a family, and we can’t forget to take care of each other. This is not an easy job, and I can’t stress enough how incredibly proud I am to be a part of this profession every day. As I pass on the torch to the next Council President and focus on my last few years as a Paramedic, I want to remind you that you have all shaped the person that I am today and without your support and constant pushing I don’t think I would have ever reached as far as I did.
Thank you.
Travis Lanoway, ACP
President