Dear Firefighting Community,
The Bytown Fire Brigade Historical Society is seeking dedicated volunteers to support various roles vital to preserving and showcasing Bytown and Ottawa’s rich firefighting heritage. This is a wonderful opportunity for those passionate about fire history and interested in contributing their skills to our organization.
We are currently looking for volunteers to assist with the following:
- Bookkeeping: Individuals with an interest in maintaining accurate financial records to support the Society’s activities.
- Antique Fire Truck Operations: Volunteers who are interested in driving our treasured antique fire trucks to represent the Brigade at events.
- Artifact Curation and Display: Those eager to assist with organizing, curating, and displaying historical firefighting artifacts.
- Website Development: Tech-savvy volunteers willing to assist with the development and management of our new website on the WordPress platform.
Local firefighters with a passion for historical preservation and organizational support are especially encouraged to apply. Your expertise and dedication will play a crucial role in helping us honour the legacy of Bytown and your firefighting history.
If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more information about any of these roles, please contact us at 613-744-0595 and leave a message with your contact information or email us at [email protected].
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Bytown Fire Brigade Historical Society.
Best regards,
Peter McBride
President
Bytown Fire Brigade Historical Society
Dear OPFFA members,
My name is Alexis Bowman, and I am an undergraduate student at Queen’s University in the Faculty of Health Sciences. I am being supervised for this study by Dr. Nikki Philbrook. Dr. Kenneth Kunz will be acting as our consultant for this study.
I am contacting you to see if you are interested in participating in a study titled “Cancer, Birth Defects and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the Children of Firefighters”. You are being invited as the OPFFA has identified you as a current professional firefighter. Our goal is to examine trends in cancer, birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in the children of firefighters to better understand the trends, risks, and impacts of these conditions on firefighters and their families.
Please note that the survey is anonymous, and the OPFFA and research team will be unaware of who has participated or chosen not to participate.
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete a brief, 20-minute survey regarding your and your partner’s health histories, firefighting histories, and lifestyle factors as well as the health outcomes of your children using an anonymous survey through the virtual platform Qualtrics. Participation in this study is voluntary and anonymous. To participate in this study, please access the link at the bottom of this email to be directed to the survey on the Qualtrics site.
If you are interested in more information about the study, please feel free to contact me, Alexis Bowman, BHSc ‘25, Principal Investigator, at [email protected] at any time.
This study has received ethical approval by the Queen’s University General Research Ethics Board.
Survey Link: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0JS3AOwvhsnVhX0
Brothers and Sisters,
On Friday, I had the privilege of attending the announcement made by Minister of Labour, David Piccini, regarding the introduction of a new bill: Working for Workers Six.
This new legislation which, if passed, will expand presumptive coverage for firefighters:
- In the case of primary-site kidney cancer by reducing the required duration of service from 20 to 10 years – the lowest in Canada.
- Remove the requirement that a firefighter’s primary-site colorectal diagnosis must be made before the age of 61.
These changes will ensure that firefighters can access their WSIB benefits more easily.
I am grateful to Premier Ford, the Ontario Government, and equally importantly, you. This latest milestone was achieved with the help of research conducted by our own occupational disease committee that made the case for supporting our brothers and sisters when they need it, earlier than the system allowed.
This victory adds to our accomplishments this year, including expanded coverage for both skin cancer and esophageal cancer. Thank you to everyone who advocated for this important change!
Here are some posts on social media if you’d like to share the news with your network: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.
Regards,
Greg Horton
