CALEB NICKERSON
LADYSMITH Aug. 11, 2018
The TCRA Hall in Ladysmith was packed on Saturday night to honour the local fire department and their contribution to the community.
The event is one of the Thorne department’s biggest fundraisers every year and Chief Dan Ladouceur explained that each year they try to make upgrades to the department’s equipment.
“We didn’t talk about [anything] specifically, of course we always purchase equipment,” he said. “Probably a few bunker suits, that’s for sure. We have some new firemen, and they’re about $2,500 a [suit].”
Six firefighters were honoured with the Governor General’s Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal for their time in the department. The award is given to those who have served with distinction for more than 20 years, with a gold bar being added to the medal for each additional decade served.

Recipients were Brent Krose for 44 years, Laynard Pasch for 31 years, Greg Bretzlaff for 31 years, Lloyd Kluke for 27 years, Ladouceur for 26 years and Wayne Dunlop (absent) for 23 years.
It was also announced that Kluke, an assistant chief, would be retiring from the force.
Mayor Karen Daly-Kelly, who is also a dispatcher, thanked the assembled firefighters on behalf of the municipality.
“Thanks to the Fire Department, they do a fantastic job,” she said. “They go out and work long hours and often they don’t get recognized.”
On a more bittersweet note, Ladouceur announced that he would be stepping back from the position, of chief, effective Sept. 1, as the job is currently too much for someone with a young family who is already working full-time.
“It was getting hard to try and juggle all the administrative parts of being chief,” he said, noting that he will likely stay on as an assistant chief, now that Kluke has retired. “I’ll still be very active, but they need somebody that has the time to do all the administrative stuff, all the inspections. In July, we had all these little calls, but for every call there’s a fire report you have to do, there’s a DSI report to the government that you have to do … it just never ends.”
Ladouceur looked back on his four years at the helm of the department with pride, but said that he is hoping the change will allow him to spend more time with his family.
“It’s too bad, because I love it,” he said. “My dad was a deputy chief, my uncle was a fire chief in Quyon for 30 years. It’s in my blood, I live for it, but the family time just wasn’t there.”
“It will be an emotional night because I find it difficult,” he continued. “The guys respect me and I’ve brought a lot to the department in four years. Four years ago the fire department had eight guys including me, we’re up to 20 guys now, with a tanker truck and new equipment.”