Firefighting trainees step up to get certified for Cherry Grove

Residents of Cherry Grove have stepped up for their small community.

This past weekend, about a dozen locals did their on-site practice at the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority’s Fire Training Centre, located beside the M.D. Grader Shop north of Bonnyville.

It’s the culmination of months of classroom and theory work now put into practice.

All this comes as the new Fire Hall in Cherry Grove is under construction. Coming from calls that the community needs a hall, particularly in response to a series of arsons in recent years, the building is being stood up.

But it’s not facilities that fight fires — it’s people. And recruitment has been positive.

“We have been training with this group since October,” Regional Chief of Emergency Services, Alicia Krawchuk, told Lakeland Connect. 

“Every Wednesday, they have been meeting with us in the evenings. We’ve been doing some good book work in the classroom, and then the occasional on-site here or at North Star.” 

About 25 individuals were originally recruited for these sessions from Cherry Grove.

Testing day was Sunday, a chance to put all that learning towards the NFPA 1001, a level one certification for firefighting. 

“It’s nice to finally put the theory into practice and get some hands on experience before we actually have to respond to a true alarm,” said Janet, a local to Cherry Grove, who was put onto the idea of firefighting from her son-in-law. 

She stepped up because she cares about her community and wants the best for it.

Similarly for Curtis, who said the training has been beneficial to understanding what the experienced firefighters make seem routine.

“I’ve lived in Cherry Grove all my life. I’ve known the community, and I’ve known some of the needs that would help benefit the community, and I thought, I might as well put in my name and do what I can to support the community.

“Hopefully it encourages others, especially younger. I mean, that’s what we need. We need continual recruitment.” 

The fire hall project broke ground in May 2024 with a budget of $5.5 million put aside by the M.D. of Bonnyville, that would also house a grader shop.

This was described as ward councillor Ben Fadeyiw as a chance to fight the feeling of “helplessness” experienced after a church was burnt down, and subsequent arsons plagued Cherry Grove.

The structure is largely built, but with all the inside work to come.