Candidate Biographies

Sarah Emily Spencer

Submitted March 23, 2023

Hello all, my name is Sarah Spencer, and I am running for the Region 1 Recording Secretary Position. I am a full time PCP out of 119 Lake Cowichan. I have been a shop steward at 119 for the past two years and am mentoring the new steward at my station. Currently, I am the interim Recording Secretary until elections. I have been more involved in the Region 1 North Union work in the last year by notetaking during meetings with the employer, attended Convention, organized the Region 1N Facebook page, taking courses with CUPE and the CLC school and fulfilling the Recording Secretary duties. I also volunteer with the CIS Peer team and really enjoy helping my colleagues through this program. Outside of work I like to hike with my husband and dogs Nemo and Shelby. I am looking to bring my organizational skills to the role as Recording Secretary. I will listen to your concerns, work on your behalf and strive to improve Union outreach, communication and transparency with your RVPs and PEB.

Sirita David Hoenen

Submitted March 24, 2023

Hello, my name is Sirita Hoenen. I am seeking your support for election to the 1 North RVP position with APBC.   I have been a paramedic in various stations and areas throughout the province as well as Alberta over the last 22 years,  18 of which were here in BC. For the last 5 years I have worked out of station 129 Port McNeill where I also live.   I have held various rolls with BCEHS including Unit Chief, Acting Unit Chief, DOSH representative, shop steward and paramedic.   When not at work, I am passionate about my family and the outdoors. I love being a paramedic. It feels like home to me.   I believe as RVP your key role is to advocate and be a voice for paramedics whether they have just started their career or  they are at the end of their career. With the vast area this region encompasses from large urban areas to small remote islands and communities I believe it is important to look at all opportunities to interact with our members through various social media platforms and being accessible to each member.   I want to make sure that people feel supported and the union is focused on representation in core services such as union advocacy, timely grievance management, support during investigative meetings, the duty to accommodate process and WorkSafe processes.   I believe I have the attributes to advocate and focus on key services for members and I am asking for your support for election to RVP in our region.   Thank you for your consideration, please feel free to contact me with any questions at chcojo1@gmail.com

Josephine Miladinovic

Submitted March 20, 2023

Hello, my name is Josephine Miladinovic, most of you may know me as Josie. I have worked in region 1 North both as a Paramedic for over 9 years and Community Paramedic for nearly 4 years. During this time, I have been the Shop Steward for Tahsis for 6 years. Having regularly attended the APBC Union Convention as a convention delegate I have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of and with my peers of region 1 north on the challenges we face in our region, along with idea’s to better improve the overall lives, and work experience in the province. My peers would describe me as an advocate for the rural and remote communities in my region and I hope to continue to support my fellow peers in other regions as well. My goals for this term if elected is to have more union meetings in region 1 north in the rural communities for example the Tri-Port (Port McNeill, Port Alice, and Port Hardy) and Campbell River making it more accessible for members of those communities to attend, be informed, and meet bylaw obligations. I will continue working on the project’s set out by the previous RVP’s. One of those being the use of video platforms for meetings which will be made available to those individuals who may not be able to attend the meeting’s due to the location of where the meeting is being held or due to other obligations where someone may not be able to attend due to personal, family reasons or work reasons. I would like to see union meetings be more accessible to all members as I am aware of the cost incurred to those who do travel to the union meetings. I am willing to learn and willing to listen. Vote for me so that I can serve you as region 1N RVP.

Ian Tait

Submitted March 19, 2023

My name is Ian Tait, and I am running for the 2 West Recording Secretary position. Thank you to my nominators- Candis Visser and Kevin Marriott, for this opportunity. I am currently your APBC Communications Director and have many different responsibilities, including co-moderating our social media and developing and delivering many of our internal and external communications, including media and government releases, our strategic plan, and our monthly newsletter. I have been involved in our union for many years- first as a Shop Steward and regional Recording Secretary and as an RVP in region 2 East for many years. I took the Communications Director position at that time, where I continue to assist and report to the Provincial Executive Committee, Board, and Provincial President. I am also a part of our Communications Team, where we plan and implement multiple releases and reports on behalf of our union, including content targeted at the public, news media and/or various levels of government. I have recently taken a Unit Chief position in Vancouver post, and I have met many of you throughout the region, filling in as an OCUC or working on an ACP unit. I am running for this position to assist the already great team of RVPs that are in place in region 2 West, and I wish to take more of a supportive role in advocating and representing our members at this time. I believe this position is very important to all Vancouver members, and I believe my experience in many levels of this union makes me a great candidate for this position. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me, whether on the street or by email at ian.tait@apbc.ca. I appreciate your consideration. In Solidarity, Ian Tait            BA, ACP Communications Director Ambulance Paramedics of BC

Brinton Deluca

Submitted March 28, 2023

My name is Brinton DeLuca, I am a PCP at Station 252. Over 13 years I have worked as an EMCT, EMD and PCP. As I wrap up my first full term as RVP in 2 West, I can proudly share some of the accomplishments I have made on behalf of our membership. I have attended hundreds of 1104, 31.03, mediation, payroll, RJLMC and various other meetings to uphold our contractual right and ensure proper process. I have also researched and written hundreds of grievances. When I undertook a major grievance cleanup in our region last year, we had over 140 pending action grievances in 2 West. I can proudly say that as I write this today, we have less than ten. Members in 2 West can now expect to have communication about their grievance initiated within days, rather than weeks. The result of this work has been significant money, positions and seniority paid out to members who rightfully earned them, among other successes. While conducting this work, I have been able to build strong, cooperative relationships with both management and HR at various levels to help facilitate the mediation of issues more seamlessly and favourably. I have proudly and humbly undertaken the role you elected me to and feel confident that I have fulfilled it to the expectation of our members. I would like to continue to build upon that with your vote. If elected, I plan to seek education specific to what is beneficial to our local to better my ability to articulate arguments to the employer and protect our collective rights. I also plan to continue to foster the relationships I have built with the Employer, and the trust I have built with the membership, to continue to achieve successful resolutions to grievances and investigations. Lastly, I would like to build more time in outreach to be available around the region for general face-to-face Q&A's. Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to continuing my hard work if elected to do so. Brinton

Bryson Alexander Laleune

Submitted March 26, 2023

Hey all, my name is Bryson Laleune, and I have been nominated for 2W RVP.  First off thank you to those who nominated me! I have been with BC Ambulance over 3 years and currently working out of 248 while attending the ACP program.  I have noticed that the workforce in the union has become younger and younger with so many new employees over the last year. Being a newer member of BC Ambulance I strive to keep current with crews and newer employees.  If you vote for me, I will keep mentoring/ precepting new employees, show the positives of the service all while holding the employer accountable for their actions as well as the implementation of the ground-breaking CA that was ratified this year. Looking forward to the challenge! In solidarity, Bryson Laleune.

Candis Siena Visser

Submitted March 23, 2023

My name is Candis and I’ve been nominated to continue my role as an RVP in region 2 west. I’ve been a paramedic with BCEHS for over 15 years working in various remote, rural and metro areas. I’ve been involved in a Union capacity for over 6 years with experience as a Shop Steward and most recently as an RVP in both 2E (two terms) and now 2W. I currently hold a Unit Chief position at Stn 240 while juggling 2W RVP duties.  I seek to resolve issues by finding factual answers and being as informative as possible while striving to be supportive, helpful, and caring when it comes to communicating with our members. It means a lot to be able to represent our members and take on that battle to fight for them when they have been aggrieved. I am proud and thankful to be nominated by my peers to represent our members, and I look forward to earning your support in this election so that I can continue to represent our members in all work/union-related matters. In Solidarity, Candis Visser

Michelle Annette Casanova

Submitted March 29, 2023

Hello, I am Michelle Casanova and I am seeking your support in my desire to hold the position of Region 3 Public Education Director. Thank you to my nominators. I am very passionate about public relations and can be found supporting or coordinating different public relation events in the Okanagan. One of the areas that I thoroughly enjoy is working with local youth of all ages.  Whether it’s an organized tour or an impromptu visit well we are grabbing a snack or coffee I love to connect with the public. With support from the union I always have a goodie bag with things from the union whether it’s a whistle, light, pen among other fun things.  I have had the opportunity to do presentations at retirement homes as well as at daycares, schools, girl guides and recently spent a week discussing basic first aid with over 100 grade 5-7 students at a local school. In addition to being passionate about presenting to children I also enjoy sharing my love of the career by volunteering at local events like parades, sporting events, fun fairs etc. In addition to being a Paramedic I am a wife to Pat and a mom to Ali, Reid, Kiana and Cole. We share our home with our labradoodle Macy. I enjoy running, playing soccer, CrossFit, skiing, biking, yoga to name a few. When not out being active I can be found reading, crafting although the real truth as to why I am active is because I love to cook and bake. A side effect of this love is the station often smells amazing. When considering all this position holds, I have the time, passion, experience and most of all desire to fulfill this role to the best of my ability. Thank you for considering me for this position. Please reach out if you have questions, concerns or comments. In friendship, Michelle

Alexandra Anastasia Marshinew

Submitted March 26, 2023

Hello APBC! My name is Lexi and I’m a full time Paramedic in the bustling metropolis of Armstrong, BC. I currently live in Lake Country with my 5 year old son, Jackson. I went FT with BCEHS in February of 2022 to Vancouver Post, and while I was there I had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most amazing Paramedics I’ve ever met. It is there where I started really thinking about how I could pursue a Union role and what that would mean for me. When I came home to Kelowna post, I had the privilege of working closely with APBC’s current Provincial Recording Secretary, Jessica Chilton, as my Unit Chief who empowered my inspiration for Union involvement further. I was inspired to get involved with our APBC Union to really learn how I could make a difference and advocate for myself, my colleagues, my community and Paramedicine as a whole from within a Union role. The role of Regional Public Ed. Director appealed to me particularly because of the endless opportunities to further public education, get more involved with our local communities and really learn what it means to work from within the Union. So if you’ll have me, I promise I’ll strive to be a the best community team player I can be, and I’m proud to represent our Union and profession while I do it!

Alexandra Anastasia Marshinew

Submitted March 23, 2023

Hello APBC, My name is Lexi and I’m a full time Paramedic for BCEHS in quaint Armstrong, BC. I live in Lake Country with my 5 year old son, Jackson. In February of 2022 I went full time with BCEHS to Vancouver post, and it was there I had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most amazing Paramedics I’ve ever met. From there, I was inspired to get involved with our Union to learn how I could make a difference and advocate for myself, my colleagues, my community and my profession from within a Union role. The role of Regional Recording Secretary appealed to me due to the administrative responsibilities the role entails. I look forward to learning more about how our Union works from an administrative/HR standpoint and using that to better serve my Paramedic community. So if you’ll have me, I promise I’ll strive to be the best RRS I can be!

Guy Hicken

Submitted March 24, 2023

It has been my honour to serve as acting RVP while Amy Chris has been on leave for the last year. With Amy now stepping down I had been nominated to run as RVP and have obviously accepted. I have spent the last year on the steep learning curve that is this role. I have created some solid relationships with the Employer. Relationships where, I feel, we are often able to come to terms that are fair and equitable for the employees that I represent. If elected I promise to continue to hold the employer to the Collective Agreement and fight for our staff. I regards to goals for the term, I feel a small tour of the stations with my other RVP is in order. There is a lot of distance between the stations in this region, and I think that this sometimes hinders the union's efforts. I want to further build the Shop Steward network and make sure that all employees of the region know they are supported both locally and at the provincial level.

Andre Ledoux

Submitted March 21, 2023

Following our recent negotiations, and as we look forward to the upcoming implementation of the many positive changes we were successful with, we still face many challenges in our northern regions around staffing deployment and the development of more full time and career-oriented positions. We've all watched our workplaces endure many changes over the past recent years, and along with those changes comes a host of issues that can affect us in ways that are not only difficult to predict, but also may be challenging to accommodate.  These changes included the impending end of SOC, new selection processes for FT and RPT positions, paid training for PCP-IV and other levels, more localized FT hiring no longer obligating relocation to the lower mainland, and a host of others! As we move forward within our professions and careers, I would be honoured to continue representing our member's interests, and with your vote I look forward to being able to continue providing member support and representation. Thank you for your consideration, Andre