THUNDER BAY – Operation Red Nose will be cancelled in Thunder Bay this year due to factors including a lack of volunteers, St. John Ambulance reports.
The program, meant to combat intoxicated driving and help residents get home safely over the winter holidays, typically operates with over 100 volunteers.
The service was also cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19. It had provided nearly 600 rides over the 2019/2020 holiday season, the organization reported.
In a statement issued Wednesday, St. John Ambulance expressed regret and disappointment over the decision, but said it had been left with little choice.
"As with many volunteer organizations across the country, St. John Ambulance are coping with low number of volunteers signed up to effectively run this program successfully," the organization explained. "We also have redirected our full time staff member to commence teaching First Aid classes to clear the backlog occurring from the COVID-19 Pandemic."
"Please note that this decision was not made easily, and every effort was put in place to attempt alternatives in running Operation Red Nose."
The organization implored community members to make the safe decision to not get behind the wheel intoxicated and make other arrangements for transportation or stay the night.
