Catherine du Puy’s pathway to the paramedic profession began when she contracted mononucleosis at the end of her second year of university. At the time she became ill, Catherine’s career goal was to become a secondary school teacher. She put school on hold and focused on recovering.

“I had grown up with my aunt and uncle being paramedics in a town called Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.” Gibsons was the setting for the iconic television series called The Beachcombers. Catherine’s uncle was the chief of BCAS Station 268 and invited her to ride along to see what the job was all about.

“As I have often told students – once bitten by the paramedic bug – you either hate it or fall in love with it. And I fell in love with it,” Catherine said. “I fully believe that being in a job that you would do on a volunteer basis for the love of it makes it the right vocational choice.”

On October 10, 1988, Catherine was hired on a part-time basis with the British Columbia Ambulance Service.

Catherine reflected on what it was like being one of few women working in the profession.

“It was tough going as there were not too many of us females working on car. At the time, our collective agreement stated that a female EMA was not allowed to work with another female – they had to be paired up with a male. There were incidents of showing up at stations and being the only female there and having to ask kindly for the boys to turn the inappropriate TV programs off and to remove the girly mags from the bathrooms.”

Catherine said that as time went on more and more women joined the profession and paved the way as pioneers for the female paramedics of today.

“I achieved EMA II – trauma designation and then went on to become a Superintendent with the BCAS Region 2 Emergency Dispatch Center. We all had to be certified paramedics to work in the Dispatch Center.”

“I had dreams of working as part of the Infant Transport Team (ITT), however, four children of my own and still working full-time shift work kept me busy and taught me enough about child emergency medicine.”

A move to Ottawa led Catherine to obtain her Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) certification and employment as an ACP with the County of Renfrew and the Ottawa Paramedic Services.

“I have managed thousands of calls over my career – both on the phone and in-person – with some wonderful talented partners who remain some of my closest friends. I have taught and have precepted many new paramedics.”

“When I was younger, I had many aspirations. To become part of the ITT, to be one of the first female paramedic chiefs, and to retire healthy. Although some of those ideas, hopes and dreams have not come to fruition, I’m satisfied that I achieved everything that I was meant to do. I was at the right spot, on the right call, and the right moment in time when I was supposed to be.”

“I have fully appreciated being a female pioneer in what used to be a man’s world.”

Catherine said the monument would serve as a visual, tangible, reflection of the service of Canadian paramedics in small towns such as Gibsons BC and big cities right across the country.

“I am proud and honoured to be part of a dedicated team with the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation coordinating and planning the building of our national monument here in Ottawa.”

“This has been a labour of love and service to honour our fallen members who have died in the line of duty, to educate our population on our roles in society and to inspire future Canadian paramedics to achieve their dreams.”

“This will be my Legacy.”