Awarded on: 1997-11-14
Bert Jarvinen, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award
Bert Jarvinen is probably the best-known volunteer at St. Joseph's General Hospital in Thunder Bay, devotedly helping others for fifteen years. Although he has recently had to reduce his activities, he would volunteer at least three days a week, making deliveries to the laboratory, picking up charts from Health Records, escorting patients throughout the facility or simply spending time with them. On a first-name basis with most employees and many patients, he frequently went beyond the call of duty to selflessly provide both patients and staff with generous amounts of his time and good humour.