Firefighters from across Canada pulled into Cobourg on the first leg of their three-day journey from Hamilton to Ottawa for the National Firefighters Memorial Day.
Approximately 60 firefighters ranging in age from their mid-20’s to mid-60’s pulled into the Best Western Inn and Convention Centre around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.
The riders started in Hamilton and will be riding 550 km to Ottawa where they will arrive on Friday.
Riders were escorted through the Municipality of Port Hope by members of the Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services and to the Best Western Inn and Convention Centre by members of the Cobourg Fire Department.
It’s all part of the National Firefighters Memorial Day which takes place on Sunday, September 11, 2022.
Toronto firefighter David Cossitt organized the ride six years ago in hopes of raising awareness and funds for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFA).
The CFFA is a non-profit organization that is run totally by money raised each year.
The money goes to a number of causes including bringing families of fallen firefighters each year to Ottawa for the memorial service.
The CFFA also sets up a bursary for the children of fallen firefighters who had died in the line of duty.
There is also a camp just outside Peterborough, which is a grieving camp for families.
In the ride there are 20 firefighters from Ottawa, 22 from Toronto along with others from Hamilton, Oakville and one from Newfoundland who has been with the ride for the last three years.
At the memorial on Sunday, families of 29 fallen firefighters will be presented Memorial helmets and medallions. This is triple the usual annual numbers of families who typically are “presenting fallen families” because of the pandemic shutdown for two years. As of September 2022, 82 names of fallen firefighters were added to the Memorial wall bringing to the total to 1811.
A Cobourg firefighter is also being recognized at the ceremony on Sunday.
Retired Platoon Chief Don King died on October 4, 2020 of a occupational illness of firefighting.
King was a firefighter for 37 years, including as a member of the RCAF, Oakville Fire Department and Cobourg Fire Department for 32 years.
Most of the firefighters recognized this year, died from a occupational illness, namely cancer.
“It’s huge right now,” said Cossitt.
“The majority are from a occupational illness and a lot of them are cancer.”
Cossitt said the toxicity in materials being made now including furniture, plastics, drug labs, and chemicals all emit toxic fumes.
“Even though we do wear bunker gear and our hoods and SCBA’s (self-contained breathing apparatus) after a fire you can still smell the fire on your skin for a couple of days.”
The riders have raised approximately $50,000 this year and over the six years the ride has raised over $200,000 over the six years.
When the riders get to Ottawa, and see their final destination, emotion starts to set in.
“It’s so uplifting. We see the families that are there. Ottawa Fire will have a couple of apparatus on scene. It’s just amazing.”
Just after the group heads out on Thursday morning from the Best Western, they will be stopping at the Cobourg Firehall on Elgin Street for a special ceremony with Don King’s wife Elizabeth and the couples daughter Susan.
“It certainly is emotional. It gives reality to why we are doing this. I think a lot of the riders that are new to this, see it and really realize why we are doing this and why they are doing it.”
The Canadian Firefighters Memorial, Canada’s newest national monument, is a permanent and public commemoration that honours the sacrifice of every Canadian firefighter who has died in the line of duty since 1848.
The Memorial’s design features a six-metre statue of a bronze firefighter, with his right arm outstretched, and his index finger pointing to a granite wall. The wall spans a conceptual map of Canada, the provinces, and territories, with its surface scored with the names of 1411 Canadian fallen firefighters, near the location they died protecting. An 18-metre-high fire pole stands beside the bronze statue with its casting including brass couplings proudly sent in by fire departments from across Canada.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
