SARNIA, ONTARIO ... Our first Canadian partners

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, Canada!

Where to start?  From start to finish, this stop rocked!

Kevin McHarg was our host ... another connection to the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial from last year.  He asked us to come to Sarnia and we were so intrigued with the idea of taking the program into Canada and getting some Troop support for the Canadian Troops who are out there in the sand with our Troops, that it only made sense.  Besides, we were going to get to immerse ourselves in the Canadian language, eh?  ( ;

And so we arrived at the McHarg home, greeted by some of the firefighters and their families. 

Kevin had asked if we had any requests, and I mentioned a RCMP Mountie, to which he had a quick and ornery response ... something about us American tourists.  But he said he would do what he could, and when we were shown our room there were maple candies and a postcard with a Mountie on each of our pillows.  We loved their sense of humor, and got a good laugh out of it all. 

Kevin was very attuned to our need for a down day, and gave us the first night to just relax, which was greatly appreciated.  Of course he also warned us that the next day we would be busy ... and he did not lie!  ( ;

So we started our day with a cup of Tim Horton's coffee, no Starbucks here, but no complaints either.  And the stuff is quickly addicting, especially that frozen drink!  lol

Anyhoo ... We were guided to the firehouse for our fi stop of the day.  We knew there would be a press conference, but we had no idea what else was in store for us.  And not how you say "WOW" in Canadian, but we need to learn it.  Because these folks stepped up!

Firefighters, Police, Paramedics, Customs, Coast Guard, future firefighters from Lambton College, Canadian Troops, City Leaders, families, community members, media, and more ... including a no joke, for real Mountie (!!!) welcomed us to Sarnia. This was an unbelievable honor for us, one neither of us will ever forget!

We shook hands and started the event.  At the podium, we listened to words that came right from the heart, and as we looked around the room after Firefighter/Troop Jason Bosker spoke with real emotion, his words catching in his throat as he looked out at the piles of shirts donated from all over for their Troops, we realized that they really "got it" here in Sarnia.  I have no idea what I said in my "speech", I spoke from my heart as I looked at all that had been done on our behalf.

I do know that I presented a challenge coin to Kevin, and he understood the meaning of being given a coin.  Our only wish is that we had a true HeroToHero.US coin to present him ... and the SFD!

They had a wonderful bbq going, and used it to raise funds to help us fund the tour, which was outstanding and very helpful!  The food was absolutely perfect, and the rubs they used on the meats are something I will order when they start marketing in the states!

They also had fun playing with the Stunt Bear, doctoring her up and letting the Customs dog get up close & personal with her.

But we had to head out, and get over to Lambton College, where all of the students were standing in formation for our arrival, and made special presentations to us before letting us experience a sort of "day in the life of" event.  We had a blast, and I got to play guinea pig for some of the antics for the camera.

Nothing was cooler than getting to take the nozzle and "put out the fire" at the tank ... like I knew what I was doing.  These young men and women are outstanding, and you can see their drive for to prove their ability.

They geared me up and let me play, and all was well til it came time to go into the smoke filled trailer.  Hey, I am nearly 50 years old, hot flashes are just a part of my life, so being in full bunker gear, adding a tank, and then the mask in the heat ... I quickly determined that this was one photo op I would eschew.  If i went in, the pix would be of the rescue getting me out.  And all I can say is firefighters do not make enough money for all they do!  Ron, thank you for your time and effort on our behalf!  We loved this stop!

Next stop, "Oz Fest" ... Actually, it was the Sarnia Police Department.  Our host was Ozzie, who has become infamous as the man who shot Stunt Bear.  He is a Range Safety Officer who gave JeeNee and I shooting lessons.  We were about done when the photo op for Stunt Bear came up.  Now, things get hazy here, and we didn't catch it all but, but the versions we've gotten have involved everything from Sasquatch, a mad beaver, and a crazed moose ... but the one constant is that Stunt Bear thought she was making a save and dove in front of one or the other and took the hit full on.  Ozzie felt bad about it, and our firefighters took care of the medical concerns.  Stunt Bear claims it was a flesh wound ... despite the exit wound on her back.  We think she was showing off for Ozzie.  And rumor has it she has invited him out for nachos, hmmmm ...  This was a really fun stop, and the Chief was a lot of fun as well.

As if this weren't enough, we had one more stop for the day, the Flag Plaza.  How cool to see America from Canada, from 105 feet in the air, in the basket of a ladder truck, to be specific.

When we raised up above the flag ... which they did a rush job to get in place before our visit ... and looked down at the intensely beautiful water, and Lake Huron, so many emotions filled us.  The honor of all that was being done for us really filled our souls on this stop.

Standing with the members of the Rotary Club that had done so much work on the beautiful plaza was an honor in its own right.  There is a lot of pride in Sarnia, and it is justified.  Don;t get me wrong, I love America, but if I had to live in another country, I could easily see myself in Canada .. and Sarnia would be a great place to settle!

We ate hotdogs and fries at the water's edge, watching boats, and swimmers enjoying the water on a beautiful summer day.

This was one of our most memorable days on the tour.  Just being in Canada was perfect.  Oh, and something we noticed ... in the States, we are "too cool".  It's like seeing the limo, we don't look, cuz you don't want to be "that guy" checking out who is in the limo.  Once we started traveling north of the border we noticed more honks and waves at our van.  We always felt welcome here.

We cannot thank the Heroes and citizens of Sarnia enough.  This was an amazing visit.  Thank you to everyone who had a part in making it all so perfect ... and there were an awful lot of you!

Oh, and thank you for the inspiration.  We will explain this later!  ( ;

We will see you again, eh?

lj