Dawson Creek city council pledges support for northern B.C. blood donation services

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — Dawson Creek city council has pledged its support for a call to bring blood donation services back to northern B.C.

On June 20, Dawson Creek city councillor Kyle MacDonald shared a Facebook post saying he was “proud Dawson Creek council unanimously supported the call to bring blood donation services back to northern B.C.” 

“This is about fair access, stronger healthcare and giving people across our region the opportunity to help save lives,” MacDonald said in the post.

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, MacDonald explained why he felt it was necessary to support the return of blood donation services.

“B.C. specifically is going to be about a million donations short here in the next few years,” he said. 

“Knowing that we have many residents across northern B.C. who want to contribute…giving them a true northern option to be able to give was why that was important,” MacDonald explained. 

According to MacDonald, the Dawson Creek city council will support the call by sending a letter to provincial leaders. 

MacDonald said he hopes that, with the city’s support, they will “gain the traction that’s needed to support Canadian Blood Services and bring it back to a donation clinic in the north.” 

Our Blood Counts is a petition calling on Canadian Blood Services to establish a northern B.C. blood plasma donor centre. 

The petition is calling for the creation of the centre because Canada has collected only 20 per cent of its required plasma from domestic sources. 

“While plasma collection is increasing and is now at about 30 per cent domestic collection, Canada will still need up to half its plasma donations from American donors,” the petition said. 

The petition also states that the Canadian Blood Service is seeking one million new blood donors over the next five years.

“Northern British Columbians want to contribute but now have to travel long distances to make life-saving blood donations,” according to the petition. 

On July 20, Our Blood Counts took to Facebook to thank the City of Dawson Creek for its support in bringing blood donations back to northern B.C.

“With Dawson Creek’s support, 37 local governments, First Nations, MLAs, MPs, health providers and advocates have now joined nearly 5,000 petitions in calling for blood donation to return to northern B.C.,” the organization said. 

On May 16, Our Blood Counts submitted a letter to the City of Dawson Creek, requesting council support as it advocates for a blood plasma donor centre in Prince George. 

“Canada relies heavily on American donors and suppliers for medication from blood plasma,” the letter said. “A plasma donor centre in northern B.C. would help to address that critical deficiency.”

In the letter, Our Blood Counts said it was seeking a letter of support from British Columbia Minister of Health Josie Osborne and the CEO of Canadian Blood Services, Dr. Graham Sher. 

According to the letter, a blood donor centre operated in Prince George from 1998 to 2015. 

“The closest donor centres to northern B.C. are in Kelowna, Metro Vancouver or Alberta,” the letter said. “Rural communities similar to Prince George, such as Thunder Bay, Ontario, now have plasma donor centres.”

Our Blood Counts said it believes northern B.C. can help support the Canadian Blood Services’ goal of one million new donors by 2030. 

In the letter, Our Blood Counts says the Canadian Blood Services has declined the call for a northern B.C. plasma centre due to “population and unspecified logistical concerns.”

“We believe their analysis overlooks regional capacity and Prince George’s proximity to Calgary and Vancouver testing facilities,” the letter read.

The letter concludes by stating that the council’s support would demonstrate northern leadership and unity in addressing the province’s need for specialized blood products and the national need. 

Dawson Creek will join the City of Fort St. John in supporting the call for blood services in Northern B.C., after Fort St. John passed a motion to write a letter in support of the initiative during a June 8 council meeting.