Your phone saved a snowmobiler's life in the Sault
Bonjour from the North — three cities, one corridor, and the stories that don't make it south of Barrie.
Okay, so picture this: You’re out on the snowmobile, maybe tearing it up near Gros Cap or heading towards Batchawana Bay, and then, *poof*, you’re in a ditch, hurt, and it’s getting dark. That’s the kind of scenario that gives us all a bit of a shiver up here, non? But listen to this story from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, just across the International Bridge, because it’s a real eye-opener about how a simple app saved someone’s bacon. A snowmobiler had a pretty bad collision, ended up injured in the wilderness, and with all that snow and the boreal forest around, finding them could have been a real nightmare.
### Technology for the Tundra
What happened is, this injured person had an app called ‘what3words’ on their phone. Now, I know what you’re thinking, another app, right? But this one, tabarnak, it breaks down the entire world into three-metre squares and gives each one a unique three-word address. Our emergency services on *both* sides of the St. Marys River, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and in Michigan, use it. So, when this snowmobiler got into trouble, they could give those three words, and boom, first responders knew *exactly* where to go. No more guessing, no more searching for hours in the bush around places like the Searchmont highway. That’s huge for us, where the wilderness is beautiful but unforgiving.
* This app gives precise locations, down to three metres. * Emergency services on both sides of the border use it. * It cuts down on rescue times in remote areas.
This isn't just some tech-geek news. For Sault Ste. Marie residents, and anyone who loves to get out on the trails or out on the lake, this is a big deal. We’re surrounded by nature, eh? From the Agawa Canyon to the vast stretches of Lake Superior. Knowing that if something goes sideways, a simple app could be the difference between a quick rescue and a long, cold night, that’s peace of mind. It’s about being smart when you’re out there, whether you’re snowmobiling, hunting, or just enjoying our beautiful Northern Ontario backyard.
Marc-André Desjardins, Sault Ste. Marie.
My friends on the morning show, they're always talking about stuff like this. Tune in to their show every morning, you can catch it live at mornings.live.