Canada's longest serving firefighter dies after more than 70 years on the job
Members of the Lamont Fire Department are remembering Bob Mitchell, the longest serving firefighter in Canada, who died on Wednesday.
Mitchell began working as a volunteer firefighter when he was 18 and was with the Lamont fire service for 71 years.
"Bob was a huge part of the station. He was one of our founding members and he really truly was everybody’s best friend," said Scott Calder, the district chief of the Lamont Fire Department.
Working for the fire department was a family affair, with Mitchell's wife working as a dispatcher before the 911 systems and two sons also working with the department, added Herman Sieker, a retired deputy fire chief.
Mitchell was no longer responding to calls, but he was still doing administrative work.
"Bob would come down every Tuesday night, he was always here early, and he did his role, he was always taking attendance and checking in on people all the time," said Calder.
In September of 2021, for the 70th anniversary of the Lamont fire station, it was renamed in Mitchell's honour.
In 2022 Mitchell went into long-term care in hospital, but still stayed involved with the department.
"We did get him here a few times over the last year to attend meetings with the fire department and the fire department went to the hospital to see him so he remained active and involved and very dedicated right up to the end," said Sieker.
In the summer of 2022, Mitchell became the longest serving firefighter in Canada, a record that Sieker believes won't be broken any time soon.
"He was recognized by the Canadian Fire Chiefs Association, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and the Canadian Volunteer Firefighters Association," said Sieker. "It just meant so much to him he couldn’t even express how much it meant to himself.
"Bob said to me once we do this because we’re here to help people so that’s how he kept going."
Mitchell was an active member of the station until two days before his death.
A full firefighter's funeral is planned for Tuesday in Lamont.
"We will tour past the fire hall one last time for Bob and then we will be taking him out to the cemetery," said Calder.
"He is and probably always will kind of be the face of this fire department, fire services here in the county," added Calder. "If for nothing more than his dedication to his community and his brothers and sisters here with the fire service.
"His memory needs to live on and it gives us a reason to keep remembering him and showing how much he meant to us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.