MANITOULIN – A few onlookers were wondering what the Gore Bay Manitoulin Firefighters Honour Guard team was doing with two trucks in the fire hall parking lot and five firefighters being filmed one morning last week.
Mike Addison, fire chief of the Gore Bay/Gordon-Barrie Island Fire Department explained, “this project is being spearheaded by Constable Marie Ford of the Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).” He pointed out there was a planned lights and siren parade involving all police departments, fire departments and paramedics on the Island that was to have visited the Manitoulin Health Centre in Mindemoya and Little Current on Wednesday evening of last week. The parade had been designed to give a show of thanks to all front-line health care workers, but it had to be cancelled.
“We talked about other things we could do and it was Marie (Ford) who suggested doing an Island-wide video, including all three police departments on Manitoulin, the Manitoulin OPP, UCCM Police Service and Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service, all paramedics and fire departments providing messages to thank all the front-line health care workers for all their efforts in the fight against COVID-19,” explained Mr. Addison.
“We filmed our portion of the video to be put together with our Honour Guard standing in front of our fire trucks and saluting all the front-line health care workers,” continued Mr. Addison. “After that each of the firefighters provided personal messages of thanks to the health care workers. Once everyone’s video is done it will be put together by Marie and posted on social media.”
“This does two things: it shows our support of all the health care providers during these difficult times and it is a good boost for our firefighters’ morale,” added Mr. Addison.
The video premiered on The Manitoulin Expositor’s Facebook Page this past Wednesday afternoon, April 15.
