Alberta Health Services (AHS) workers placed on leave without pay have formed a group called the Alberta Boot Project and have set up a display at the legislature in Edmonton to bring awareness to medical workers who have been terminated..“We want people to be aware of the human cost these (COVID-19) vaccine mandates have taken,” said organizer Kate King, a primary care paramedic serving a region east of Edmonton for the last 10 years..King was put on leave without pay for refusing to adhere to the AHS COVID-19 vaccination policy..On Monday morning, King and 10 volunteers braved temperatures in the -20Cs to set up more than 700 pairs of shoes and boots on the legislature steps in Edmonton..Each pair of shoes included a sign communicating the owner’s position and length of service with AHS.. image_6483441-2Photos provided by King – outside the legislature building in Edmonton . image_6483441-3 .“We currently have 733 pairs of shoes and they keep coming,” King told the Western Standard..King said she worked two years with AHS directly and 10 years as a contractor and had a recognized religious exemption for vaccines with aborted fetal cells the entire time..“My religious exemption has been recognized the entire time, but when the COVID-19 vaccines came around I was told they would not be recognizing my exemption for this and I was put on leave without pay,” said King..According to King, Alberta Boot Project started just more than a week ago. King started by creating a digital poster and said she posted it on some of the telegram and Facebook groups calling for fired AHS workers to drop off shoes with a sign stating their position and tenure..“We’re likely going to see about a total of 13,000 service years represented by all the people who have dropped off their shoes,” said King.. image_6483441-6 . image_6483441 . image_6483441-7 .“We’re talking people who have had long-term careers here, not just a bunch of young people. I believe one of the people who have brought us their shoes has had a 57-year career as a medical professional.”.King said she plans to take the Alberta Boot Project on a tour around Alberta to set up the display in other cities to show the “human side” to those who’ve been terminated..“This has drastically affected many people,” said King, who added: “Everyone should have the right to say no.”.More to come….Melanie Risdon is a reporter for the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
