'What it means to be a firefighter': Scholarship established in memory of Central Saanich assistant fire chief
The Central Saanich Firefighters Association has established a scholarship in honour of Assistant Fire Chief Forrest Owens who died from cancer in his home on July 21 at the age of 64.
Owens served the peninsula community’s fire department for more than 35 years.
He started his career with the Central Saanich Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter in 1986. In his more than three-and-a-half decades of service he would become a fire captain and a career assistant fire chief.
He would continue to serve as the department’s "active-paid-call" assistant chief after retiring from his career position.
"He was a longstanding member with us and the community is grieving," said Central Saanich Fire Chief Kenn Mount.
"He was instrumental in a lot of the programs we have, from fire prevention to working with our First Nations groups, and he definitely leaves a huge void," he said.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
In honour of Owens' long service with the fire department and his dedication to his community, the Central Saanich Volunteer Firefighters Association has established the Forrest Owens Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship will be awarded to a student from Stelly’s Secondary School to pursue a career in firefighting.
"The scholarship will provide a number of benefits to the community and it allows us to start a different approach to recruitment," said Mount.
"It's another means of working with our local young people to see what it means to become a firefighter."
In his long career with the fire department, Owens was a well-respected leader in the peninsula community. He played a key role in training Central Saanich Fire Department members and led fire prevention and inspection programs for many years.
He was also a strong advocate for mental health awareness for first responders.
"The biggest thing is the impact one person can have on his community," said Mount. "He really did this out of the goodness of his heart."
"He started from the beginning as a volunteer and it turned out to be a lifelong career and passion. It lasted 35 years and we recognize and respect that," said the fire chief.
The Central Saanich Fire Department, with the support of the District of Central Saanich Council, will be hosting a public celebration of the life and career of Owens at 1 p.m. on Aug. 14 at the Saanich Fair Grounds on Stelly’s Cross Road.
The memorial will take place in the RCMP barn located on the fairgrounds and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Donations to the Forrest Owens Memorial Scholarship can be made by contacting the Central Saanich Volunteer Firefighters Association at csvffa@gmail.com.
"We will retire Forrest’s [fire service] number and the memorial scholarship will help us continue on with his legacy," said Mount.
Correction
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Forrest Owens died on June 21. The assistant chief died on July 21.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.