Bella Bella’s Gary Housty gets up close and personal with Prince William and Kate

Gary Housty, manager of R.W. Large Memorial Hospital in Bella Bella, wasn’t on the schedule to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they visited the small Central Coast community last week.

But a last-minute request from his mother asking him to dance on her behalf in the Chiefs Welcome Dance in the packed local community hall gave Gary the opportunity to share a few words with the Royal couple.

Both of Gary’s parents carry hereditary chieftain names in the Heiltsuk territory, which means they are part of welcoming honoured guests (Royal or not) through a Chiefs Welcome Dance.

“The white ermine on the headdress represents peace and the eagle down placed on top is spread around during the dancing to bless the floor before anything happens,” Gary explained about the regalia worn by the hereditary chiefs. “It sets the tone for our traditional gatherings and lets our visitors know we welcome them within our territory.

“I honestly was invited last minute as my mom asked me to dance on her behalf. I thought why not! This would be an honour and privilege to see the Duke and Duchess up close. Little did I know I ‘d have the opportunity to meet them, shake their hands, and share a short conversation.”

Heiltsuk hereditary chiefs during the Chiefs Welcome Dance for the Royal visit in Bella Bella on Sept. 26, 2016.

But what would he talk about?

Introduced to the Royals by his Heiltsuk name K̓vsḷs, which means Wolf, Gary spoke to Prince William about the challenges inclement weather has on transporting patients out of the Central Coast. Gary knew Prince William was an air ambulance pilot who medevacs patients out of remote areas to larger hospitals and thought they’d find common ground on the topic.

He was right.

“He asked about my name and what my role was in community. I shared that I was a Registered Nurse and in a leadership role as the manager of the local community hospital. The weather was very stormy on the day they were in Bella Bella so I talked about the many complexities around medevacing our patients to larger centres in the Lower Mainland,” says Gary.

Gary Housty, manager of R.W.Large Memorial Hospital, meets the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Bella Bella.

Prince William had many questions from the operating systems involved in medevacing patients, where they are taken, to how many doctors and nurses work at R.W. Large Memorial Hospital.

“He was excited enough to pull Kate from the conversation she was having next to us to introduce me to her. He actually said, ‘You have to meet this guy’.”

Gary found the Royal couple to be “absolutely down to earth, genuine, and respectful individuals.”

“The community was very uplifted by the visit from the Duke and Duchess. People were delighted and full of smiles leading up to the event,” says Gary. “I often hear people speaking of how proud they are of ‘our Sasum’ meaning our children and youth. They did an incredible job welcoming, singing, and dancing for the visitors. That was a very proud moment for my wife Melissa (a Nurse Practitioner in the medical clinic) and me.”

Children from the Heiltsuk First Nation meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Bella Bella.