EDMONTON- For over 40 years, the Stollery Children’s Hospital has been partnering with emergency medical technicians to fill a bus with young patients and take them for a magical ride down Candy Cane Lane, which runs along 148 Street between 100 Avenue and 92 Avenue.
The latest scenic ride provided by the “Candy Cane Lane Express”, took place Wednesday evening.
“We think it gives the kids a little bit of a boost that are going be in (hospital) over Christmas,” said Steven Ward, an EMT with Alberta Health Services.
“It’s obviously had an impact. The driver that we have tonight, actually started of as one of our children back in the early ’90s.”
Ward said the tradition first began with paramedics bringing children down Candy Cane Lane in ambulances with windows. The children would be in the ambulance to be transferred between hospitals. He said it wasn’t until the City of Edmonton got involved and provided the EMTs with a bus, that it became known as the “Candy Cane Express.”
Ward said it’s fairly easy to pinpoint why he enjoys volunteering for the event.
“It’s the smiles that you see on the children; it’s the happiness, the joy of getting out of the hospital and just the pleasure of them seeing the lights as we go down. ”
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