Call Today

(250) 338-0196

Office Hours

Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm

r

48 hours notice

required to book a driver and vehicle

Call Today

(250) 338-0196

Office Hours

Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm

r

48 hours notice

required to book a driver and vehicle

Wheels for Wellness Society

Our History

Wheels for Wellness was the result of Don Buchner taking his wife Thanna to UBC for medical treatments for Vascular Dementia in 1996 and 1997.

08 Feb, 1997 saw Don sitting in the Clinic waiting for Thanna and overheard a Parkinson’s patient, from Courtenay, explaining to the nurse that she could no longer come for treatment, as it cost her $400 per trip to attend and she had to come twice a month. All she had for income was her Old Age Pension and a little Canada Pension, leaving her with no money for living expenses. Don saw the need and stepped up to the counter and volunteered to transport her.

This arrangement carried on for 5 months and was added to by the Parkinson’s clinic. The clinic wrote up the arrangement in the Parkinson’s newsletter, which was spotted by a renal Social Worker in Victoria, She called and inquired about the possibility of transporting Kidney Patients on Vancouver Island. Don accepted the challenge and started regular runs to Victoria that soon morphed into carrying ophthalmology patients to Clinic 5, at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. These services were funded entirely by Don Buchner as Wheels for Wellness was not yet a CRA registered charity thus precluding donations, but Don managed to struggle along using money from his before retirement savings.

In the spring of 2005 the Vancouver Island Health Authority contacted Wheels for Wellness with a request to meet and possibly bid on a new funding source called “Health Connections”, which would cover all of Vancouver Island. Wheels for Wellness was the successful proponent, launching in June of 2005, with 6 mini vans, and 10 volunteer drivers, and 1 dispatcher. Since 2005 the charity has become an essential service to patients on Vancouver Island transporting approximately 25,000 patients per year and travelling approximately 1,750,000 kms. per year

Wheels for Wellness operates 13 Kia Carnival Mini Vans , Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM  and is a “Door to Door” service. The majority of our clients are “Seniors”.

Our annual operating costs are around $1,200,000 Cdn. making it a continual effort to raise funds. We continue to bid on contracts from Island Health Authority, who have been excellent to work with. We provide them with statistical data that they can use to improve health care on Vancouver Island.