Volunteers from across Shelburne County spent all Saturday in Barrington, Nova Scotia, making final preparations for the Shelburne County Strong Disaster Relief Charity Event – a night of appreciation to recognize and thank the firefighters who stepped up during the fires. Lake Barrington Wildfire.
Local residents have spent more than 3,000 hours over the past year preparing for the day.
“It's an incredible fight they put up, it's something that's never been seen in this area before,” said Paula Sutherland, one of the organizers.
As many as 650 firefighters will attend a private banquet on Saturday night, where they will receive Community These were designed locally and feature the Barrington tartan.
“They’ve done a great job in the community, and a lot of homes have been spared,” volunteer Shelley Deon said.
Each firefighter, DNRR, volunteer organization, RCMP, ground search and rescue team and arena staff member will receive a plaque in recognition of their outstanding efforts over the past year.
“These men and women literally gave their lives in that wildfire,” Dion said. “Because of them, families didn’t have to experience despair. They didn’t have to rebuild, they didn’t have to rebuild and restart their lives.
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“These men and women gave their lives for this community.”
The Nova Scotia government has allocated $32,000 to fund the charity event, and local community members have also donated to provide a fun night for first responders to show their gratitude.
“Really, thank you is not enough,” Sutherland said. “I mean, 28,000 hectares burned and not one person died. That’s the most important thing. Yes, homes burned and people’s lives were changed forever, but we have to remember that no one died in any of this.”
A total of 69 fire departments were involved in fighting the fires last May and June, including help from the DNRR, New Brunswick and the state of Montana.
“Half of the people didn't know us, but they still kept coming to help us,” Dion said. “For me, we have to thank them. Because we can't thank them enough.”
Meanwhile, in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, the thank-you campaign continued with the unveiling of a memorial made by local high school students.
A heartfelt tribute to the Nova Scotia Fire Department who worked hard to put out the 2023 Lake Barrington wildfire.
Megan King/Global News
Students created 64 hearts to honor the Nova Scotia Fire Department that participated in the rescue, and one large heart to thank all the other volunteers.
“They've all helped us, so we have to represent all of them,” said Jeremy Quinlan, an 11th grader at Shelburne Regional High School. “We can't leave any of them out.”
Les Goulden, the teacher who runs the school's program, wants first responders to know how much the community appreciates what they are doing.
“Without those guys … we don't know where things would be. So, they definitely lend a hand when we need help.”
For firefighters like Waterville Fire Department Captain Jeff Greer, the move was something to be applauded.
“It's very touching that they did this,” Greer said. “We were just amazed to see it and the effort they put into this. So, yeah, we're very happy about it.”
Shelburne County community members told Global News they are definitely seeing the beginnings of rebuilding and recovery in their communities, but there is still a long way to go.
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