Ryshanna Bellisle has dedicated her entire life to EMS, and that won’t be changing anytime soon.
After 22 years of serving communities in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Bellisle is being recognized for her passion, dedication, and mentorship within the EMS family.
On May 29, Bellisle will be receiving the Emergency Medical Exemplary Service Medal presented by the Lieutenant Governor General of Alberta.
“She represents everything the award stands for. It’s not just her years of service, but it’s what she has done in those years and the leadership skills, teaching skills, and passion that she has for the job,” expressed Alicia Stone, regional deputy chief for the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority EMS.
The medal is more than just simple recognition for a job well done, for Bellisle it’s a reminder that her work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“This award, to me, is a very emotional award. It’s a pretty prestigious award that is given to someone by the Lieutenant Governor General of Alberta. You have to work for over 20 years to receive it, and you have to have worked on an ambulance for that time. There has to be a lot of other involvement,” she expressed.
Since starting her journey with EMS in May 1996, Bellisle has trained and mentored dozens of ambulatory staff.
She was the first female paramedic for the City of Prince Albert, and played an instrumental role in creating and spearheading programs in the Province of Saskatchewan.
“I look back at my path, EMS at the time, it wasn’t a career like it is nowadays. You did it because you loved it, you didn’t do it for money,” Bellisle described.
Over the years, she has watched fellow paramedics move on and venture out of the industry, but for Bellisle, her career held a special place in her heart that she just simply couldn’t leave behind.
From delivering babies, to resuscitating, Bellisle knows her job is changing lives.
“You’re making a big difference, and that’s what really keeps me going here,” she expressed. “It has been such a unique and diverse career, unlike anything else. A lot of times when you’re able to help people, for example in a hospital setting, that’s you’re only setting. In an ambulance, you’re going to the emergencies, and that’s what is so unique about this and has held me to this.”
She continued, “You see people at their worst, and sometimes it’s not a giant emergency in our eyes, but in theirs it’s their worst day.”
But it isn’t just saving lives that has made coming into work everyday a pleasure.
Bellisle has fallen in love with teaching and mentoring students.
“Mentoring is huge to me. I just feel like if you don’t help new people grow, then you’re not going to have a career in the future,” Bellisle expressed.
This won’t be the first time Bellisle has been recognized on a provincial scale.
In 2009, when Bellisle was working in Saskatchewan, she received the Star of Life Award.
“That was for teaching and mentoring students,” she said, adding receiving that medal was an honour.
In order to qualify for the Emergency Medical Exemplary Service Medal, Bellisle had to prove she excelled in her career.
After Stone put in an application on her behalf, Bellisle had to put in the footwork to confirm her 22 years of service.
That meant getting letters from previous employers explaining why they believe she should receive the medal.
On her track record is a list of community volunteer projects she was involved in, including bringing the Heart Health Program to Saskatchewan, Operation Christmas Boxes, and Blankets of Warmth.
Volunteering and community projects have always been important to Bellisle.
“I was very into that. It’s more than what’s being done here, ambulance is very community-orientated job,” she expressed.
Bellisle may have started her career in Prince Alberta, SK, but over the years she has had the opportunity to experience a few communities.
Because of her husband’s work, the family left Saskatchewan for a position in Edmonton, where Bellisle continued her work as a paramedic, before moving to Bonnyville.
“We moved around because of my husband’s job. It was a big step from Prince Albert for us. It ended up being a wonderful choice and a wonderful path for our family,” Bellisle detailed. “That’s what led us to Bonnyville, is through my husband’s career, and we really love it here… it has become home for us.”
Overall, Bellisle has taught, volunteered, and worked her way to provincial recognition, and Stone couldn’t be more proud.
“We’re proud to have Ryshanna on our staff here,” Stone noted.
For Bellisle, her career has been an integral part of her life.
She said, “I have been involved with it since I was 19, and this award is a huge recognition because not only have I had to give up a lot of my life in order to be a part of this career, but so has my family.”
