UNE members go above and beyond in Grasslands National Park.
UNE is proud of the work our members do every day, often well beyond their job descriptions. The story below is one powerful example: on the August long weekend, three members at Grasslands National Park’s East Block stepped up to rescue and care for a visitor experiencing heat stroke on the trail.
This account was written by Alex Goatcher, shop steward, Grasslands National Park East Block.
“On the Saturday of the August long weekend (August 1, 2026) at noon the Rock Creek Campground in Grasslands National Park East Block got a call from someone on the 1000 Devils Trail that their mother cannot continue the hike due to the extreme heat (50C on the trail, no wind) and needed to be rescued. Andree and I (the Visitor Services Attendants) at East Block contacted Trish (Visitor Facilities Attendant) and Juanita (Maintenance Worker) that a rescue needs to be done and as we waited for their arrival, we prepped the campground’s side-by-side and the reception centre for the operation. Trish and Juanita arrived, left on the side-by-side to the trail, found the party, and brought them back to the campground reception centre, where Andree helped the visitor in distress into the shower in the building to cool her off because she was showing signs of heat stroke, also her dog was showing signs of heat related distress and was given water and put near an air conditioning vent. Andree recognized the signs of Heat Stroke instantly and told me to call for an ambulance.
Due to the quick response of Trish, Juanita, and Andree, by the time the ambulance arrived (1.5 hours after the 911 call) the visitor was no longer showing signs of heat stroke and was already recovering from the incident. Trish, Juanita, and Andree’s primary work responsibilities are not “visitor safety” nor “first responders” but Trish and Juanita are trained in Wilderness First Aid by Parks Canada and Andree is trained as a Community First Responder by the local Paramedic Organization. Trish, Juanita, and Andree all went beyond their everyday call of duty to help someone who could have possibly died in the heat if this visitor had to wait for professional emergency rescue personnel.”
Alex Goatcher, Shop Steward, Grasslands National Park, East Block
Do you have a story to share?
Stories like this one are a reminder of just how amazing UNE members are, often doing incredible work that goes unseen. We want to hear more of them. If you or someone on your team has a story you would like to share, reach out to Communications at Communications@une-sen.org.