Canada Post workers show support for health-care workers with parade past Health Sciences Centre

Canada Post workers put on a parade of support for staff at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre on Wednesday.

About 20 Canada Post trucks circled Health Sciences Centre, honking their horns to show their support for those working at the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parade was captured on video by Alyssa Atkins, a nursing assistant at HSC, while she was on her break. She later posted it on Facebook.

She said it made her emotional because typical ways of supporting people, like giving someone a hug, aren't possible right now.

Watch the parade here:

Canada Post workers put on parade for health care worker at Manitoba's largest hospital

5 years ago

Duration 1:48

About 20 Canada Post trucks circled Health Sciences Centre Wednesday afternoon, honking their horns to show their support for those working at the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Everybody is so distant right now and practising social distancing. It's hard to give someone that good hug for support or a pat on the back," she said.

"It's just a different gesture of showing support for what you do, not just hospital workers but all essential workers."

Right now, everyone working at HSC is bracing for the impact of COVID-19.

"Everybody's pretty much at a stage where they're scared to come to work, but we've got todo it for our families and other families," she said.

"I'm able to still work, which is great, but at the same time there are so many protocols, and it changes by the minute, by the hour, by the day."

It's been amazing to see everyone, from all different units, come together to help wherever they can despite the stress, she said.

Employee-driven initiative to give back

A spokesperson for Canada Post said employees have been organizing "drive-bys" like the one that happened outside theHealth Sciences Centrein various cities across Canada to give back to the community.

"We are also getting photos sent to us from delivery agents who see 'thank-you'letters and drawings in windows, on home mailboxes and on community mailboxes,"Valrie Chartrandsaid in an email.

"These kind gestures mean a lot to our employees, and these drive-bys are one way they return the gratitude."

Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said she thought it was a lovely gesture that would be appreciated by nurses and other health-care workers across the province.

"They took time out of their essential duties, or their day, to acknowledge what nurses and front-line workers are doing," she said.

"I think that we need to acknowledge that they are also providing an essential service, and kudos to them."