CN provides major donation to keep medical doctors in the North
April 6, 2005 -- CN
today announced it will donate $300,000 to the Northern Medical Programs Trust
to help train and retain physicians in northern BC.
The NMP Trust is a partnership between
northern communities and the University
of Northern British Columbia
designed to improve health care by educating physicians in the north. To date,
some 25 communities have pledged to raise more than $4 million toward the total
endowment of $6 million. CN’s support will be credited to the pledges of Northern BC
communities where the company operates. With the CN donation, fundraising for
the Northern Medical Programs Trust has surpassed $2 million.
“CN has operations in northern communities
like Hazelton, Terrace, Williams Lake and Quesnel and we know how important it is to
have skilled medical professionals available to meet the needs of northern
residents,” says Peter Marshall, CN’s senior vice president, Western
Canada. “There is a chronic
shortage of doctors in small communities and rural areas, and we hope that our
support will help encourage them to build their practices where the need is
greatest.”
Mr. Marshall presented a cheque to Dr. Charles
Jago, President of the University of Northern British Columbia at a reception and dinner
in Prince George
on April 6. CN’s contribution will be
paid over five years.
“We are delighted that CN has become a
generous partner and a permanent member of the NMP Trust,” says Dr. Jago. “Their gift will make a huge difference in
our fundraising campaign, and ultimately in the quality of health care
available to the people of the North.”
The Northern Medical Program has been
guided by a simple concept: if physicians are educated in northern BC, they
will be more likely to practice in northern and rural areas. The program
integrates state-of-the-art technology with a particular focus on training
future doctors who have the skills and attitude to practice in northern
communities. The NMP is part of the
expansion of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and delivered in partnership with
UNBC.
Canadian National Railway Company spans Canada and mid-America,
from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports
of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and
Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit,
Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis,
St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North
America. |