Filling the transportation gap in the north
- Robert Merasty | August 19, 2018
Ron Michel, the former Chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) and the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) went from politics to starting his own business called Ron's Medical Transportation Service (MTS).
It was always his lifelong dream for his career to shift direction into economic development.
“I find it very important to help our people and transportation is a good way to help,” he said. “So, it’s in my blood and I just love doing it I’ve been doing it for the last 35 or 40 years.”
When Michel received approval from the provincial and local governments to begin a business, he had to successfully bid to earn the right to win the transportation program. The bid was against established taxi cab companies. The bid contained the types of service he would provide his clientele.
The transportation Business has a fleet of five vehicles, which he purchased using his life savings, severance pay from PAGC, his old age pension and monies he received from the Saskatchewan Indian Equity Foundation (SIEF).
Michel’s business is situated at the Chief Joseph Custer reserve number 201. He and George Michel, his full-time manager, have an office at the urban center.
The clientele belongs to the PAGC district and they are referred to MTS by the Spruce Lodge boarding home staff.
Spruce Lodge arrange the transportation and meal vouchers for the clientele. It typically takes one working day to make the trip. It has been characterized by Service Canada as a non-insured medical health benefits program that the PAGC arranged for Spruce Lodge.
There are four part time drivers including manager George McLeod that transport patients to three hospitals in Saskatoon.
Initially, local taxis transport the patients from communities such as Sandy Bay, Pelican Narrows, Deschambeault Lake, Beaver Lake and Hatchet Lake in the north.
“We work closely with Spruce Home Lodge and the P.A.G.C. Health department,” said McLeod. “The management of Spruce Lodge approves all trips. Eventually the invoices make their way to Health Canada in Regina who reimburses the costs.”
Michel and McLeod agreed MTS is on a personal basis with the patients.
“We are the same nationality and we speak the same language,” said Michel. “The patients really like that.”