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Quesnel health-care workers sent boxes of treats as a token of appreciation

“We were wondering for a long time what to do and realized it could be as simple as that.”
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G.R. Memorial Hospital staff Natasha Wasmuth, Cherri Burk, Amanda Apps and Costinela Polk accept treats donated by Ernesto Boulianne on behalf of Grizz Contracting on Thursday, Sept. 23. (Photo submitted)

A small act of appreciation by a Quesnel construction company went a long way for staff at the G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital.

Ernesto Boulianne stopped by Thursday, Sept. 23, with dozens of sweet treats from the Quesnel Bakery on behalf of Grizz Contracting.

“I just heard a paramedic on the radio who said she wasn’t sure if she was going back into work on Monday because she was fed up with not being appreciated and a workload that was difficult, so we just talked about it at home and wondered what we could do,” Boulianne said.

“Instead of trying to fight what we didn’t agree with, we thought we could support people.”

Read More: Physicians were suffering burnout and then the pandemic made it worse, UBC study finds

This was not the first time the construction manager and his crew have shown gratitude. The first time they brought cheeseburgers, which Boulianne said were a hit.

The baked goods were accepted by COVID-19 screener Natasha Wasmuth, housekeeper Costelina Polk and nurses Cherri Burk and Amanda Apps, who had happily posed for a photo before sharing them with their coworkers.

”We had a baby at the hospital [G.R. Baker] a year and a half ago, and that was just at the beginning of this when it was much easier I think for the staff even in difficult times, and I just can’t imagine what they’re going through,” Boulianne said. 

“It’s hard for all of us out there already as it is to adjust but they’re in the thick of it every day, and they’re doing amazing work so I don’t envy them. If we could do little gestures, so they know they’re appreciated, that’s the goal, and try to encourage them and keep it up.”

Cases of COVID-19 in the Quesnel health area have risen in recent weeks. In late-September, the area had the sixth highest rate of new cases in the province.

Read More: PHOTOS: With a crash and a bang, B.C. residents applaud health-care workers



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