Upon completion of their medical school journey, it has been a longtime tradition for NMP students to each receive a long white coat as well as a wood shingle from northern B.C. to mark their transition from students to doctors. 

Photo: New cedar shingles from Valemount made their debut at the NMP local graduation celebration this spring.

At this year’s local graduation celebration at UNBC in Prince George, the shingles had a new look that reflects a special connection to the Village of Valemount. The shingles were made from cedar sustainably sourced and sawn by Cedar Valley Holdings Ltd., a western red cedar shingle producer. And each shingle was sanded, beveled, etched and coated by Glacier Ridge Services. Both organizations are businesses with more than two decades of combined service in the Valemount area.

“As a northern community, and a member of the Northern Medical Programs Trust, the Village of Valemount wanted a way to say congratulations to the NMP’s graduates,” said Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson.

Photo: NMP Class of 2023 with Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson (at far left).

“While not a prominent species in our area, the production of cedar here is very hands-on and employs a significant amount of people per cubic metre. About 28-30 people had a role in the creation of the shingles, from forest planners to the final packaging and delivery. These shingles embody the very fibre of our community wanting to say thank you to the graduates for the very lives and people they will touch throughout their career." 

“A strong connection with our northern communities is vital to the NMP, in conjunction with our ongoing commitment to rural medicine education,” said Dr. Paul Winwood, Assoc. VP, Div. of Medical Sciences, UNBC and Regional Assoc. Dean, Northern BC, UBC Faculty of Medicine. “We are hugely grateful for these special shingles from the Village of Valemount, which is a much loved site for students to visit for clinical rural family practice placements and extra-curricular shadowing experiences.”