Firefighters Honored at Annual Firemen’s Ball

3 days ago

3 minutes read

It’s that time of year already when the snow is melting, the grass is turning greener, and the Kindersley Fire Department hosts their annual ball. It was a packed house with guest speakers and even a magician!

Emcee Aaron Harle from Country 104 did an awesome job. As he joked, “As you can see, I’ve got a face for radio”!

After Loreen said grace, we were treated to a scrumptious roast beef and chicken supper prepared by Kelly Skapak and her company, Simply Satisfied Catering. Kudos to Kelly and her staff for a job well done!

After supper, Aaron got back to his job and introduced all of the firefighters (30 in total) and all of the special guests. Darien Lynch and Shannah Osiowy gave a Firefighter toast and a Spouse toast respectively. Following that was Chief Jeff Soveran, who didn’t realize how short he was as he could barely see over the podium! He spoke of the commitment of being a firefighter and praised everyone for their dedication. He also spoke about the upcoming events the Kindersley Fire Dept. is hosting. This fall will have over 300 firefighters from around the province come here for three days of training and team building. And in June of 2025, we will see an influx again of over 300 fire chiefs for their big conference. Busy times indeed! Oh, and a new pumper truck is on order to replace ours that has seen its prime.

Mayor Rod Perkins spoke about how proud the Town and its citizens should be, having the amount and dedication of our current lineup of talent on the fire dept. Town CAO Audrey Hebert echoed the Mayor’s words and added her personal thank you to each and every firefighter.

RM of Kindersley Reeve, Lionel Storey, was short and sweet with his speech. He thanked everyone and said to keep up the great efforts as people sleep soundly knowing these fine men and women are on duty for us.

April Matthewson brought greetings from the EMS crew. She said it was great that they had such an awesome working relationship with the fire dept and the R.C.M.P. And all told, that can make all the difference when attending an emergency.

Misty Leismeister spoke on behalf of TERT (Traumatic Events Response Team), and following that, it was time to hand out the awards.

Nicole Dufault presented Cody Welker with his 10 years of service award, and Adrean Palm presented Ron Cales with his 10 years of service award, and Nathan Ward presented Josh Getz with his 5 years of service award. And that was a wrap for the awards portion.

Now it was time for the evening’s entertainment. Sean Watson and his partner, Chanelle Munroe, who go by the title of “The Magician and the Muse”, were extremely entertaining and engaging to watch. How on earth they performed some of the magic tricks they did was amazing! It truly was MAGIC.

Following that, it was a time to socialize, take pictures, and swap stories. The bar was run by the Kindersley Oil Wives, so hats off to them for keeping the party going!

There was a 50/50 draw with just over $600 up for grabs as well as some merchandise from Camerons Clothing, a meat package from Kindersley Packers, and a gift card or two from Sobeys! A fine night to be sure.

To this author and many others in the room, it takes a certain kind of person to be a firefighter or even a first responder. In a small town, especially because you may be having to rescue or attend an accident scene and know that person(s). That can weigh heavily on your mind once you have the chance to debrief and destress. Not everyone can do that. The men and women who perform these feats of heroism week in and week out are to be commended. Having each other’s back, I think, is what keeps them grounded and on an even keel. Their support system is nothing short of amazing.

We salute each and every one of our Kindersley Firefighters for all you do, in all types of weather conditions and more times than not, sacrificing time with your family to help others in need. Your dedication, commitment, and passion are not overlooked.

THANK YOU!