SUDBURY—The beautiful fire truck emblazoned to raise awareness of the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, unveiled by members of the Sudbury Professional Firefighters Association on Remembrance Day, has connections to Manitoulin Island in the form of two of its firefighters. Jayson Swain and Aaron Noland, both originally from Manitoulin, are members of the Sudbury Fire Department.
“The fire truck is getting national and international attention,” stated Mr. Swain, in an interview with the Recorder on Tuesday. “The Vimy Ridge Foundation in France has contacted our captains who spearheaded this project, and people were seeing the truck in Europe a couple of days after it was unveiled online. It has become a very big deal,” he said, noting the fire truck is being used as a way to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Canada, an organization dedicated to helping veterans and first responders.
“One of our fire service trucks was emblazoned with images as a tribute to Vimy Ridge,” said Mr. Swain. He explained, “one of my captains (Phil Langis) wanted to do this as a tribute to Vimy Ridge. He wanted to do this last year but the logistics didn’t work out, but this year he and others (in the fire department) got the sponsor support and funding to do this. It is costing zero taxpayers dollars.”
Their Facebook page explains the Sudbury Professional Fire Fighters Association has spearheaded the fundraising project honouring the 100 year anniversary of the Vimy Ridge Battle that took place on April 9 to 12, 1917. Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge a defining moment for Canada, this is when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops had earned themselves a reputation of formidality and efficacy. Despite this, the victory came at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded.
Mr. Swain said he is proud that he had a small part in the fire truck work with helping to take it apart and putting it back together for the wrapping on the outside of the truck to be completed. “It’s a pretty neat looking vehicle and it is going to stay wrapped with the Vimy Ridge tribute until next Remembrance Day. Hopefully we will get a lot of donations for the Wounded Warriors fundraising campaign.”
Donations of between $5 and $100 can be made and the donator gets a poppy to sign and put on the truck. The poppy stickers will be available for purchase year round with all proceeds going to Wounded Warriors Canada. The firefighters’ goal is to raise $500,000.
“Aaron and I, and another rookie firefighter, were honoured to be a small part of the honour guard for the fire truck-the Remembrance Day ceremonies held in Sudbury,” said Mr. Swain.
Mr. Swain has been a member of the Sudbury Fire Services department for 14 months, the same time as Mr. Noland. They both attended high school at Manitoulin Secondary School and had been a member of the Manitoulin sea cadets. “I always wanted to be a firefighter,” he told the Recorder. “I owe all of this to my parents. Their 20 years helping to run the Billings Fire Department and all the fundraisers they organized for the community is the example I followed which lead me to my dream job.”
