A Winnipeg firefighter and mental health advocate — who helped get a fire truck in the Winnipeg Pride Parade for the first time — and a doctor who helped lead the COVID-19 response on First Nations in Manitoba both say they feel honoured to be among those receiving the Order of Manitoba.
At a ceremony in July, 12 people in Manitoba will receive the province’s highest honour, recognizing their achievements and contribution to the social, cultural or economic well-being of communities in the province, the office of Manitoba lieutenant-governor said in a recent news release.
“I didn’t go into what I did thinking that this would be a nomination and actually receiving this award, but it’s a special recognition of all the hard work done,” firefighter Chad Swayze told host Marcy Markusa in an interview with CBC’s Information Radio on Wednesday.
The veteran firefighter, an acting lieutenant, is entering his 24th year with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
He said his mother cried when he told her of the call from Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville notifying him of the honour three weeks ago after being nominated for the award in December.
Swayze said he was 12 when he took a first aid course because he felt scared and helpless when his 16-year-old sister at the time started having seizures. This decision to help his family during medical emergencies led him to pursue a career as a firefighter and paramedic in Brandon for two years before transferring to Winnipeg.
Swayze was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2012 after he was blown out of an industrial building.
In 2015, he joined union members from the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg to share his experience about mental health with MLAs.
The Manitoba Legislature later passed the Manitoba’s Workers Compensation Amendment Act, making the province the first in the country to automatically allow any fire, police, emergency medical staff or nurse with PTSD to qualify for workers’ compensation.
“My mental capabilities really took a deep dive there and I struggled with going back to work for a while just because not knowing [whether] maybe the next day would be my last,” he said.
At that time, mental health wasn’t discussed nearly as much in firehalls as it is now, he said.
“When a firefighter has a broken bone they can say, ‘Oh, it’s broken, you’re not going to work,’ but when you have a broken mind, it’s hard to diagnose that.”
Something he wishes he could tell his younger self, but will pass on to new firefighters, is that it’s OK not to be OK and to seek help.
Swayze also had a hand in getting a fire truck into Winnipeg’s Pride Parade, beginning in 2017.
“I was able to work with a group and make sure we were representing all firefighters and it was important for me — at that point I wasn’t out in the LGBTQ community — but it was important to make sure that people had representation in the fire department.”
‘Affirming that I am on the right path’: doctor
Dr. Marcia Anderson, a nationally renowned physician who served as the public health lead for Manitoba’s First Nations COVID-19 pandemic response team, said receiving the call from the lieutenant-governor notifying her of the honour was an emotional moment.
“It’s an incredible honour and nothing that I could have imagined for myself,” Anderson told host Faith Fundal in an interview with CBC Radio’s Up To Speed on Tuesday.
Growing up, Anderson said, she knew she wanted to become a doctor and advocate for Indigenous health care, but that dream was cemented when her father had a heart attack in 2003 and experienced overt racism while accessing medical treatment.
“I remember that moment and what it was like to be in that room when that racism occurred, and it reminds me of my commitment to do everything in my power to change that for the next time,” she said.
“We all have relatives that deserve and have a right to the highest quality, culturally safe care.”
Anderson said that whenever she’s feeling really tired at work or confronted with challenges in the field, she reflects on that day and uses it as a driving force to continue to improve health care for Indigenous people.
“To be recognized for that is really affirming that I am on the right path,” she said.
Anderson also said her work during the COVID-19 pandemic was incredibly difficult, but it was an important reminder of the value collaboration has within communities during extreme hardship.
Another health leader who became familiar to Manitobans during the COVID-19 pandemic will also be among this year’s recipients of the Order of Manitoba: Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer and the province’s chief spokesperson during daily COVID-19 briefings early in the pandemic.
The other recipients are:
- Murray Sinclair, former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and a member of the Order of Canada.
- Elder Mae Louise Campbell, whose work focuses on centred on restoring and protecting Indigenous spiritual values and principles.
- Myrna Driedger, a former MLA who was Speaker of the Manitoba Legislature.
- Ron Paley, Robert Williams, Michel D. Lagacé and James Cohen, all of whom have been involved with the arts in the province.
- David Johnston, business executive who founded the Johnston Group, a benefit plan company that also funds multiple special projects, and co-founder of the Johnston Family Foundation.
- Connie Walker, United Way of Winnipeg CEO.
The Order of Manitoba ceremony will be held at the Manitoba Legislative building on July 11.