THUNDER BAY – LEADERS LEDGER – The closing of the Plasma Centre is, and will be an unforgettable event in Thunder Bay and the region. Twenty nine dedicated staff are losing their jobs because Canada Blood Service Head Office can not do their’s. CBS has done a great job since taking over control of the Blood Supply system in Canada from the Red Cross.
There is no more tainted blood or blood products in the system just a tainted senior management team and Board who clearly targeted Thunder Bay.
Just look at the timing, around a long weekend with Parliament and the Ontario Legislature both basically shut down. We will continue to fight these decisions but before we as donors go any further, we owe a big Thank you to the local staff who have been nothing but professional, as always, in their approach.
Even though they were going to be paid from “Black Thursday” to the 12th, they have been at work every day except for “Shock Day” on the 30th of March as a way of saying thank you donors we at least value your contribution.
Since the Centre opened in 1998, they have made each and every donor feel valued and important. They were truly a family of colleagues who allowed us to become part of that family every time we donated. My last donation will be Wednesday and I will drop by on Thursday for “good bye day” but I will always remember the TLC they gave every donor, the volunteers and the visitors.
We will miss you Plasma staff but we will not forget you. All the best in your future lives. Thank you for being what Canadian Blood Services should be about.
Larry Hebert
Councillor at Large