Hay River to celebrate 75 years of its fire department

Hay River’s fire department is celebrating a major milestone this weekend as it marks 75 years of service during the town’s 67th firefighters’ ball.

The annual gathering brings together firefighters, their families, and the community to recognize the hard work and dedication of those who serve the town.

Instead of its usual location at Legion 250 Branch, this year’s event will take place at the Fisherman’s Wharf Pavilion on December 6. It begins at 6:30pm.

Travis Wright, who began working for the fire department as a volunteer 17 years ago, took on the role of fire chief in 2021. He described the ball as a key tradition not only for the department but also for the entire community.

“This is a very honoured tradition of the department. It gives us a chance to say ‘thank you’ to the firefighters for all the work that they do here and a chance to appreciate and celebrate the year that we’ve had,” he told Cabin Radio.

“As a department we’ve come a long way, and it’s really great to look back through the years and all the people that have been involved with the department and all the things that have been done.”

Wright said the department has “continuously grown and improved” despite the many difficulties the town has faced, including wildfire and flood-related evacuations, major emergencies, and a growing demand for both fire and medical services.

He said call volume has doubled since the pandemic. So far this year, the department has already responded to more than 700 calls.

“We’ve had some challenging times there as a department but got through it all and now, you know, we’re trying to build off of that knowledge and trying to help out other communities,” he said.

Wright said the department deployed twice this year to assist other communities with wildfire risk and wildland-urban interface operations. According to him, recruitment and retention remain key priorities.

With roughly 30 active members including on-call staff, the department relies on volunteers who also serve as emergency responders. Wright said training can take up to two years to reach full qualifications, including fire and medical response certifications.

Costs are going up, Wright noted, and the department is working hard to maintain its current service level.

‘We want to continue to evolve’

The team is now working with the previous fire chief, reviewing old records and photographs to document the department’s history, and preparing a presentation for the ball that highlights its evolution over the years.

During the ball, the department will recognize individual achievements alongside annual service awards and a firefighter-voted award for outstanding service. The territory’s fire marshal is expected to help present some of the awards.

“We want to continue to evolve, continue to expand our service where we can and make sure we can meet the demand that we have,” said Wright.

“We also want to work with our neighbouring departments more and strengthen those relationships and try and build a strong NWT fire service for everyone.”

Town manager Glenn Smith said the event is a good opportunity to recognize the work local firefighters do to ensure the safety of residents year-round.

Smith noted the past few years have brought increased demands on the department, with a rise in ambulance calls. He said the ball is also a chance to acknowledge the families who support department members.

While there were no major emergency events in the community this year, Smith said it is important to recognize the department’s broader contributions, including members’ work to help protect Fort Providence and Jean Marie River from wildfires.

“It’s a bigger milestone for us being what we’ll be recognizing is the 75th anniversary of the Hay River Fire Department operations,” he said.

“It’s just important that there’s proper recognition for that group and [we] thank them for all the work they’re doing.”