Healthcare workers at Grace Hospital: We are sorry we didn’t get to stay long.

As soon as we arrived, we were asked to leave by Executive Director of the Grace Hospital Foundation, Jon Einarson.

We managed to hand out a small number of gift cards before we were made to leave.

Jon was immediately aggressive and rude to us. He would not explain why we couldn’t distribute the cards except to say that there were “problems with the program”.

He did not respect physical distancing and called four security guards who surrounded us until we left.

The ultimate irony here is: everyone who was in scrubs-- who is on the front lines of this pandemic every day-- was THRILLED to see us and very happy to accept our small token of appreciation on behalf of Manitobans.

People in office attire-- like Jon-- are the ones put off by us showing our appreciation to healthcare workers. Jon gets to go back to his office while the very folks he's denying our gift cards are fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines.

The healthcare workers who were denied our gift cards by Jon are, incidentally, also those who are being over-worked and under-resourced by the Pallister government’s austerity agenda.

It's time for us to collectively think about and unpack this dynamic.

Also worth noting: this is not our first negative encounter with Jon. When attempting to arrange gift card distribution last month, he was repeatedly condescending, patronizing, and generally disrespectful to one of our femme organizers.

Jon was a dick. Jon was mean. Jon was misogynistic. Jon was infantilizing. Jon sucks.

Shame on you, Jon. Your energy would be much better spent supporting your workers instead of menacing those who are trying to show appreciation for them and their hard work.

If you’d like to let Jon know what you think about his reaction to us appreciating healthcare workers at Grace Hospital, you can phone him (204-837-0488) or send email him an email ([email protected]).

While Jon tried his hardest to take away this small gesture for healthcare workers, we are undeterred.

We will be back again tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13th, @ 7:15 AM on the EAST/WEST sidewalk.

HCWs: feel free to come say hi (safely) and pickup a gift card from us.

Remaining distribution schedule:

Tomorrow we are also distributing at Bethesda Hosp. in Steinbach.

Thursday, we will be outside Victoria Hospital @ 7:15 AM outside the cafeteria doors.

Friday, we will be outside Health Sciences Centre @ 7:15 AM by the William Street parkade.