'We definitely need more people like Kenn': Manitoba man praised for driving neighbours into city

Hometown Hero: Helping people with transportation CTV’s Danton Unger finds out about how Ken Shier is helping to improve transportation in Winnipeg Beach and Gimli.

An Interlake-area man is being hailed a Hometown Hero for taking his neighbours into Winnipeg for medical appointments and other important life moments.

Kenn Shier moved out to the Petersfield, Man., area three years ago after he retired. Shortly after he made the move, he said his dog Boo died, and he suddenly found himself with a lot of time on his hands.

“I knew how much I was hurting,” Shier said. “So I wanted to try and take that hurt away from other people.”

He told CTV News he first noticed the need for transportation on social media. He said there is no bus service, and the local taxi services are also limited. So he sat down and planned a way to make a ride into the city as affordable, accessible and safe as possible.

Two years later, he's still running strong. Shier will pick someone up at home, wait with them at clinics and chauffer them around the city before driving them home. All he charges is the cost of gas.

“From start to finish, I'm with them at all times, so they're not alone,” Shier said.

Though he doesn’t advertise and relies on word of mouth, he said the response has been overwhelming.

“In the past seven months, I've done 200 trips into Winnipeg there and back,” he said. “The people, they're amazing. I'm the fortunate one because I've got so many friendships that have come out of this.”

‘I call him my saviour’

Among his passengers are Priscilla and Charlie Quast.

They met Shier almost two years ago when Charlie was very sick and had at least one medical appointment in Winnipeg every month.

She got his phone number from her neighbour.

“He was just wonderful,” said Priscilla. “He would take Charlie by the arm, put him in the car, get me settled and drive us in.”

Priscilla said Shier also helped Charlie into the hospital and would take her to shop at Walmart or Costco while they waited.

Other times, he would have a hamburger waiting for Charlie in the car for the ride home.

“He treated us so, so good,” said Priscilla, adding Shier would always call them in the evenings to ensure they were OK.

She said Shier is now like part of the family.

“Without him to lean on when Charlie was so sick I really don't know what I would have done,” she said.

Priscilla said Charlie is doing much better. These days, they don’t need to go into the city as much, but Shier will be their driver when they do.

“I call him my saviour because I honestly would have been lost if I didn't have him to take care of Charlie,” she said.

Shier to the rescue

Jan Hosking is from Winnipeg and found out about Shier on social media.

She said she put his number in her phone as a backup in case she ever needed a ride. She and her husband only have one vehicle.

“I'm just so thankful that I did, because when I got a call from my neighbour saying that my husband collapsed, of course, I don't have a car, so the first thing I thought of was get a hold of Kenn,” she said.

Hosking explained to Shier that her husband had been taken to the hospital in Gimli, and she needed a ride to her cottage at Winnipeg Beach.

Hosking said Shier said ‘yes’ without hesitation and said he’d be there in 45 minutes.

“Kenn said, ‘Jan, I usually don't go out after six o'clock, but this is an emergency and I'll help you.’”

She said Shier was very professional.

“We listened to the Bomber game and he kept on checking me to see if I was OK,” Hosking said. “He was so nice and so personable; I couldn't say enough about him.”

Hosking said her experience with Shier has renewed her faith that good people are out there.

“We definitely need more people like Kenn,” she said.

Hosking said her husband is doing just fine. He was taken to hospital that day after passing out due to heat exhaustion.

No plans to slow down, Shier says

For Shier, it’s not about the money, and it’s about the people.

“They've enriched my life. They brought so much joy into my life,” he said. “I'm able to give a little bit back to the community, but they've given me a whole ton back with their friendship and kindness.”

With thousands of kilometres behind him already, Shier said he has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

"As long as there is a need for it, I'll keep trying to help as many as I can."