Prince George Hospice House and Knox Performance Centre now have automated external defibrillators (AEDs), enhancing emergency preparedness in these high-traffic public spaces.
The life-saving devices were donated through the Bill Bond Memorial Fund and the Prince George Community Foundation.
The Bill Bond Memorial Fund was established four years ago by the Bond family in honour of Bill Bond, who faced numerous health challenges before his death in 2020.
Former MLA Shirley Bond told the Citizen that her late husband was a strong advocate for ensuring AEDs were available in public places.
“Bill was always very passionate about working with heart and stroke,” Shirley Bond said. “One of the projects we took on was making sure there were more AEDs in public spaces. It was important to our family. When Bill passed away, we decided his legacy would continue through this work, and a fund was started with the Prince George Community Foundation. It’s been an ongoing project for our family and a really special way to honour Bill’s memory.”
The Prince George Community Foundation worked with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to purchase the AEDs and their cabinets. Each set of AEDs typically costs around $2,200, which can be prohibitive for many public spaces in need.
Bond said AEDs can significantly improve survival rates during a cardiac event.
“The use of an AED makes a huge difference in the event of a sudden cardiac event,” Bond said. “When combined with CPR, it more than doubles a person’s chance of survival. Access to an AED is key — it has to be available quickly. That’s why we’ve placed them in community spaces like seniors' centres, the Legion, Mount Robson Park, Dunster, Vale Mountain, and McBride. The issue is access. They need to be easily accessible when needed.”
Bond also highlighted a successful collaboration during her time in public office. Working across party lines with then-health minister Adrian Dix, she helped create a pilot project that secured more than $3 million in government funding to place AEDs in public spaces in three communities, including Prince George.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fillier of the Knox Performance Centre said the new AEDs align with the centre’s commitment to community well-being.
“It’s an incredible gift,” Fillier said. “It honours Bill’s memory and the Bond family’s passion for building compassionate communities where caring for our neighbours is a cornerstone of who we are.”
In addition to the two AEDs at the Hospice House and Knox Performance Centre, Bond and the Prince George Community Foundation have created an application process for other organizations that need AEDs.
“The other key part of today’s announcement is our partnership with the Community Foundation,” Bond said. “They’ve created a streamlined process for organizations to apply for AEDs. Until now, it’s been mostly word of mouth, but now there’s a formal application process on the Community Foundation’s website. We still have funds available to distribute AEDs quickly.”
This additional funding comes from individual donations and a November event held in Bond’s honour, which raised $27,000 for the fund.
“The event organizers were incredibly kind to ensure any additional funds went to Bill’s legacy fund,” Bond said. “We now have $27,000, which means we can place at least 10 more AEDs. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. It was a full house, and it means so much to my family to see these AEDs placed in Bill’s memory. Thanks to the organizers and everyone who attended, we’ll be able to do more of this work.”
Organizations or spaces in Prince George that are interested in receiving an AED can learn more and apply through the Prince George Community Foundation website.
To donate to the Bill Bond Memorial Fund, visit this website.
