Firefighters gather for Winnipeg memorial monument unveiling in honour of fallen peers

The words "remember" and "reflect" etched in white lettering on black stone stood out behind Alex Forrest as the president of the Manitoba Fallen Firefighters Foundation helped unveil a memorial commemorating firefighters who have died as a result of their jobs.

More than 100 firefighters in the crowd were joined by supporters in Memorial Park on Tuesday for the monument unveiling, which includes names of some firefighters who died of cancers they developed through exposure to hazardous environments. 

"We will have brothers and sisters who will die while doing their jobs as firefighters: this is the tragic nature of our profession," Forrest told the crowd. "But our profession is also one of remembrance, and this is also why we have such bonds of brother- and sisterhood."

Plans for the monument have been in the works for about 15 years.

Former NDP premier Gary Doer, who spoke at the event, introduced the first legislation on the continent linking certain types of cancers to conditions firefighters are exposed to while working in hazardous environments.

"I'm really pleased that firefighters everywhere in North America have this legislation," he told the crowd. 

"We did it based not only on the passion of the families of the firefighters, but also on science, and this law has stood up not only in Manitoba but it's stood up in every province in Canada … every state in the United States has got this law on its books."

The province passed a list of presumptive cancers in 2002 that firefighters would be covered for, expanding it gradually over time.

Doer praised the province for pledging to improve the legislation through amendments. Manitoba expanded the list of occupationally-linked cancers last year, adding pelvic, penile, ovarian, cervical thyroid and pancreatic cancers as part of the Workers Compensation Amendment Act. Over a dozen other cancers are already on the list.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson thanked Doer and the Manitoba Fallen Firefighters Federation for their work to get the monument erected.

She recalled being an MLA at the time the legislation was enacted and said it was a prime example of what's possible when parties work together. She went on to praise the sacrifices firefighters and their families make.

"You are the heroes that help … save so many lives in our community, and I just want to thank each and every one of you," she said. "We will never forget the heroic efforts that your loved ones made and contributed."

Forrest ended a section of his address by invoking the memory of late Manitoba firefighter Rick Stoyko.

Stoyko died of cancer in 2003, shortly after the legislation passed, not long after having a brain tumour removed that was tied to his work.

But before he passed, Forrest says Stoyko was committed to using his voice to ensure more protections and coverage was in place for his peers. 

"Even though he had such precious days left he had come to me and said, 'I want to help in any way I can,'" said Forrest.

"Even though the profession is so hard upon the individuals that are part of that profession, we still love this profession.... But it's something you really don't understand unless you are a firefighter."

Names to be added to the monument moving forward include seven firefighters who have died in the past two years: Jerry Guenther, Kenneth Joss, Arthur Gary Miller, Gary Jonson, Bruce Relke, Gerald Smith and Tyler Manych.