The Dauphin and District Handivan transports seniors and those with disabilities.
Drivers take clients to and from home, to medical appointments, shopping, and to church. They will also take them to visit family or friends out of town. They have two large pro master vans, two regular vans for wheelchairs, and one Chevy Equinox for those who can still climb in and out of a vehicle.
They do dialysis trips to Russell six days a week because of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre closure. Drivers are also taking clients to Swan River, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, and Brandon for Cancer Care.
Ann Wagner, office manager, says operations have been very busy.
Last month's devastating flood has impacted operations.
"We get lots of requests from different agencies. We're still doing some transports for Prairie Mountain Health. When someone needs to go get an X-ray or something, we're transporting those people," said Wagner. "I'm really juggling vehicles and drivers the best I can to accommodate everyone as much as possible. I try not to say no to a trip; they're all important."
They just got a new vehicle about three weeks ago. It's a van with bus doors and a ramp. It's quicker and easier for the driver to get clients in and out.
It's a faster loading process, which, in turn, helps the bottom line. The cost of the vehicle was $178,000. To help ease the burden, the RM of Dauphin has stepped up in a big way. They contributed $20,000 towards the new van.
Wagner says they're grateful to have received the funds from the RM.
"We're doing a raffle right now to raise money to help pay for the van. My goal was to sell the 2,000 tickets, which would have been $40,000," continued Wagner. "With the flood and the cancellation of the Street Fair, it dampened our raffle sales. I think we're only sitting at $10,000 in raffle sales right now. So the $20,000 from the RM will really help pay for the van."
The draw will be done on August 20. The first prize is the gift of flight. It includes one round-trip flight for two guests to any scheduled WestJet destination. The second prize is the ultimate golf pack, and the third prize is the Stay-Cation. If you want to purchase a ticket, click here.
If you require transportation from the Dauphin and District HandiVan, you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
"You can call the office at 204-638-8884, and you can also text that number," ended Wagner. "After hours, you can leave a text or voicemail, and we will get back to folks the next morning."
The hours of operation 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. On Wednesdays and Fridays, they operate from 8:00 to 5:00. Saturday is 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
