'It was just adorable': Grade 1 students surprise departing firefighters with special goodbye gifts
After two weeks of battling wildfires in Alberta, some Atlantic Canada firefighters were sent homes with a surprise Saturday.
An Edmonton Grade 1 class was at the Edmonton International Airport Saturday to give a crew of wildland firefighters handmade thank-you cards and wish them well on their way back to New Brunswick.
"That was definitely a surprise, a pleasant surprise," said firefighter Owen Cull. "I think that's really great.
"I think it's really good that kids understand what's going on, that there's people out there really working hard to keep others safe and put forest fires out."
The idea to create the cards came from Melissa Mackey and her daughter Patience.
"We see how much the firefighters have been pouring in their hearts, flying in from towns across Canada and we thought, how can we say thank you to these guys?" Mackey said.
Patience's Grade 1 class was happy to help and the kids whipped up around 50 cards, each with a special message of appreciation from the kids.
"The creativity from the kids in every single card, and all the little things they said, it was just adorable," Mackey said.
The class surprised the crew, who spent the last few weeks in northern Alberta battling the out-of-control 74,000-hectare fire that forced the evacuation of Fox Lake and destroyed dozens of homes.
"It was definitely an exciting experience, definitely some intense moments. But worth all the time," Cull said. "We really enjoyed our time here."
For many of them, including Cull, it was the first visit to Alberta and Mackey said she wanted to make it a trip they won't forget.
"When we gave them to the firefighters this morning, the comments that we were hearing from them was like, 'Wow, this was our first time in Alberta and what a great experience. We have never had anybody make up thank-you cards,'" she added. "It's amazing."
The act of kindness is also a teaching moment, Mackey said, and she hopes it helps the kids see the importance of kindness and gratitude.
"A token of appreciation, call it a random act of kindness, it goes a long way and we all know that we need more kindness in this world," she added."To really experience empathy and compassion and what it actually takes, I think these are very important lessons for Grade 1 kids to learn."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.