I have mentioned the fire ban, this is due to the dried grass everywhere. Tonight's rain will be welcome.

Bless them, all, for their work. Yes, they ought to have tax breaks.
"Tax breaks for volunteer firefighters - less than meets the eye .." They've been lobbying for this for years. The fire chiefs met with the government to try and convince them that this ought to be so. Unfortunately, it appears that many are at a lower income than would make a different to their taxation. This is criminal.

These men and women serve at all hours of the day. They abandon employers, or their own businesses, to run to a call. It is awful having a pager on all the time, ready to run to a call. When I was volunteering with Victim Services in Muskoka, I found it very difficult being attached to a pager. You just never knew when you might have to run. I attended to a woman whose neighbour committed suicide, terrible time for her.

Bala drownings, 2009

Three-alarm in Bala, Ontario

Very tired crews at Bala Falls.

Volunteer at the Bracebridge competition!

Volunteer at the Bracebridge competition!