Due North 2002 - Thank You
Another Due North has come and gone and by all accounts, this was the most successful one yet. Despite staffing shortages across the region, more delegates attended than in past years. The sessions were filled to capacity and for the first time ever, we had to add chairs in some of the rooms. The comments sheets were excellent and in particular, the session on Columbine received very high ratings. No surprise there.
This was the first conference of this type organized by Wayne Gates and Helen Letourneau. I would like to express my appreciation for their hard work. Despite tremendous work commitments, we pulled it through. Seeing Wayne under huge pressures when equipment was not where it was suppose to be with not even have a frown, I thought that was pretty "cool under pressure". I'd like to do a major call with this guy any day. Nothing seemed to rattle his cage. As for Helen, the super job of keeping the paperwork on track, the flight plans coordinated, and the overall set up running smoothly, that was a great achievement. I can assure you that when I did the accounting for the first conferences, I wasn't quite as organized. To all the others who helped and supported us in hosting the conference, in particular Mike Trodd and his staff for working diligently behind the scenes, and to all our speakers and exhibitors, thank you for your excellent support.
The conference made a small surplus which will be donated to the Northwest Chapter of the OPA to help start the next conference. Since 1997 when we started with the first conference with $3,500.00 as seed money and a well used Visa card, the conference has returned enough money each year to now have almost $10,000.00 available for the next year. This allows organizers much more confidence in getting the next conference going.
During the now provincially famous fund raiser certain events were held to collect donations for the Benevolent Trust for paramedics killed in the line of duty and also for the Diabetes Tour which is going through Ontario this summer. This year's event raised $2,554.51 for the Benevolent Trust and $1,000.00 for the diabetes tour. Since we started Due North in 1997, this fundraising evening has been great entertainment. I suspect we could not pay any arts group to be entertained in this fashion. The key thing is to remember that it is all for a good cause. By the way, Paul Charbonneau and I will offer cash rewards for any pictures and video tapes as well as negatives depicting certain events. Please contact us personally. Enough said about that.
A host is needed for next year. Planning should begin in the fall of 2002. Any group interested in being host, please contact Paul Charbonneau. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. If you missed it, start planning for Due North 2003 now.
Have a safe summer.
Jocelyn Bourgoin
Due North 2002 Chair
