The words may not have been plentiful and the artwork perhaps less than refined, but the sentiments perfectly summed up the gratitude so many in B.C. feel for the brave men and women battling the wildfires taking such a heavy toll on the province.
Earlier this week a Saanich Fire Department crew was on their way home from a week-long deployment fighting wildfires in the Williams Lake area. When they returned to their Saanich Fire vehicle on a BC Ferry they found the driver’s window had been plastered with thank you cards from fellow ferry passengers.
“The cards were from some wonderful young kids who did some colouring on the ferry, made the thank you notes and put them on the van,” said Deputy Chief Dan Wood. “They were certainly taken aback, they loved it.”
While the cards may have come from a small group of children, the message they convey are shared by residents, young and old, from across the province. Words cannot express our gratitude for the firefighters who have travelled from all corners of the province, across the country and from the other side of the world to assist B.C. residents in their time of need. They are battling to save people and the communities they call home, working tirelessly to protect their property along with their belongings and livestock.
The brave members from Saanich Fire and their counterparts across the province are giving hope to the thousands of people who are sitting in evacuation centres, wondering whether they will have homes to go to.
And their work isn’t done just yet. A fourth rotation of Saanich firefighters leaves for the B.C. Interior next week.
The cards taped to the Saanich Fire vehicle have found their way to the Station 1 bulletin board on Vernon Avenue.
“It’s nice to get a pat on the back after a seven-day rotation where they put in long hours and long days,” Wood said.
The message may have been simple, but it’s one that says it all: Thank you firefighters, from all of us who call British Columbia home.