Dr. Charles Trainor agrees to one-year post as chief coroner

Dr. Charles Trainor is welcoming a return to his former, long-held role as Prince Edward Island’s chief coroner.

Trainor officially took on the top coroner position April 1, replacing Dr. Desmond Colohan who retired after three years in the job and a 23-year run working in the province’s health system.

“I’m kind of looking forward to it,’’ says Trainor.

Trainor has committed to a one-year term, which should allow the province plenty of time to find a new chief coroner.

He anticipates his year back on familiar turf will pass fairly briskly.

He is also anxious to see the province move on its plan to have paramedics doing scene investigation involving a deceased person and report to the coroner on call, patterning after the system in Nova Scotia.

“It will certainly make the role of coroners a lot easier,’’ says Trainor.

“You won’t have to be expected to roll out in the middle of the night to attend the scenes (of a death).’’

Trainor was first appointed chief coroner in 1994 when he replaced his uncle, the late Dr. Allen McMillan.

He stepped down 20 years later on Dec. 31, 2014, but carried on as deputy coroner during Colohan’s tenure as chief coroner.

Trainor also plans to continue working as an operating room assistant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital an average of three days a week.