News that the Northern Health Region (NHR) has hired a resident doctor for the Snow Lake Health Centre was greeted with joy and appreciation for both the priority placed on the need and the speed at which it was fulfilled. Comments on the NHR’s Facebook announcement of the hiring were unanimously positive and differed only in the adjectives used to describe degrees of the given poster’s zeal.
The NHR announced the arrival of Dr. Michael Haldorson as the new physician to the Snow Lake Health Centre and community of Snow Lake with a June 18 post on their page. They further noted that his anticipated start date is August 27.
“Dr. Haldorson was born and raised in Manitoba and attended the University of Manitoba, attaining a B.Sc. Bachelor of Science followed by his M.D. Doctor of Medicine,” the post advised. “He then received Family Medicine training at the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia at Fort St. John. His training has been focused on being a full scope rural general practitioner and being the ‘Town Doctor’ for a small community was one thing that drew him to Snow Lake. He is excited to start this new venture in Northern Manitoba and looks forward to settling into the community.”
In the post, the Northern Health Region also thanked the community of Snow Lake and the staff at the Snow Lake Health Centre for the warm welcome they gave the new doctor during a recent tour of the facility and community.
Reached for comment, Dr. Haldorson stated that he is very happy with the position in Snow Lake. He said officials with the NHR recommended that he tour Snow Lake while in Manitoba looking at positions … and even though it required some last-minute preparation, he was extremely happy he visited the community and the health center during that trip.
“I was quite impressed with how nice, clean, and organized the hospital was … and that was despite me showing up more-or-less unannounced,” said Dr. Halderson. “It was quite clear that everyone at the Snow Lake Health Centre takes immense pride in their work, and it was obvious to me the moment I walked through the door that this was the type of place I would want to be a part of. “
“The community itself is extremely lovely; cottage country really. Everyone I talked to or asked about it said the same thing; and no one had anything negative to say about Snow Lake. So I am really hopeful that me and Innu (his corgi) can settle in and build a life for ourselves there.”
The entire community is elated at the new doctor’s impending arrival and many are appreciative of the work the NHR did to fill the position and for the lobbying effort put forward by the taskforce of locals who pressed for action on what Snow Lakers see as a necessity.
Citizens were also pleased to see that the NHR has scheduled weekly (two-day duration) visits from a public health nurse for the coming months. Snow Lake has been without a resident doctor or health nurse for several months, although the positions have seen locums fill in during that period.
In other news, Snow Lake's annual graduation convocation and celebration took place on Saturday, June 23... with one more group of our young folks having reached this milestone, it is cause for everyone to be delighted!
For many, there is a wide array of emotions that greet the occasion. There is happiness for the students who have reached the first of many such milestones in their young lives. For some, there is relief that the group have all finally reached the end of 12 long years of schooling. There is pride on behalf of family, friends and school staff as they watch each take their walk, receive their diploma, and turn their tassel. And there is anticipation in us all – of what the world and the future hold for one more class of Snow Lake’s finest.
This year’s graduating class was made up of 12 students. They are: Jessica Baker, Cole Bercier-Young, Christian Fisher, Magenta Fourie, Justin Francis, Taelor Kowalchuk, Holly McLaughlin, Catherine Plamondon, Brendan Smith, Kristen Smith, and Marielee Taillefer.
