A steady parade of distinguished guests and firefighters from detachments in Wellington County honoured Arthur firefighter Ivan Fair for his 50 years of voluntary service with Arthur Fire Department on Tuesday evening, Feb. 2 at Arthur Arena. ?Esteemed guest, John Wilkinson Perth-Wellington MPP brought greetings. As he presented Fair with a certificate of appreciation, he read the words on the document.
“On behalf of the government of Ontario, I’m pleased to express appreciation for the work of Ivan Fair as a volunteer member of Arthur Area Fire Department. For 50 years you have provided outstanding firefighting service to your community, therefore I’m delighted to express my gratitude for your dedication. I hope the years ahead bring you happiness, health and fulfillment.” Wilkinson said. It’s signed by the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of the Province of Ontario.” ?Fair also received greetings from Gary Schellenberger, MP, Perth-Wellington; Former Premier Ernie Eves who represented Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey; Ted Arnott, MP Wellington-Halton Hills and Michael Chong, MP Wellington-Halton Hills.?“It’s quite a thing to congratulate someone on 50 years of service,” Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead said. “It’s certainly one of the top things I’ve ever congratulated anyone on before.”?Mayor Broomhead and the entire of Wellington North Council --  Councillor Bob Mason, Councillor John Matusinec, Councillor Dan Yake and Councillor Ross Chaulk thanked Fair for 50 years of service and presented him with a monetary gift. ?“I remember many years ago when I was a working councillor in the Village of Arthur,” Wellington County Councillor Lynda White, “one of my first committees was liaison to the fire department. I was very nervous and when I went down to the fire hall to attend my first meeting, Ivan made me feel so welcome.”?White spoke of her respect for the firefighters, for the volunteers and the dedication they give to the community and presented Fair with a certificate from Wellington County.?County of Wellington OPP Sergeant Pat Horrigan said he was proud to be in attendance not only as an officer but also as a friend of both Dorothy and Ivan Fair. He congratulated Fair and thanked him for his help and support in protecting the community. ?“When the average time for a volunteer fire fighter in the province of Ontario is anywhere from five to seven years, 50 years is very outstanding,” Tom Edward, who spoke on behalf of Ontario Fire Marshal Patrick Burke, said.?On behalf of Firefighters Association of Ontario (FFAO) President Bill Burns, who was unable to attend, Vice President Carl G. spoke about the evolution and change that has taken place within the past 50 years. ?“You are one of the patriotic citizens of the community; you are why Canada is so great,” Pearson told Fair. “You’ve spent 50 years fighting fires and protecting the community of Arthur and we thank you for that.”?Representatives from Puslinch, Fergus, Elora and Centre Wellington detachments gave Fair gifts, greetings, honours and thanks.?“I think you actually started Mutual Aid, didn’t you?” joked Rick Adamson, Vice President of Mutual Fire Aid Association.?Adamson presented Ivan and Dorothy with several gifts, some comical. He gave special thanks to Dorothy for putting up with 50 years of “pagers, phones, sirens and alarm bells”.  All of the firefighters present signed the back of a keepsake picture titled “Courage”. ?“You probably wondered where Ivan was going the first Tuesday of every month,” Arthur Fire Chief Jim Morrison, said referring to the month Mutual Aid meetings. “This was the group of guys that he shared his time with -- we’re all a fine bunch of fellows.” ?Morrison acknowledged having a firefighter in the family can be difficult at times. He expressed his thanks to Dorothy, the rest of Ivan’s family and all the families present for their support. ?A picture was presented to Fair on behalf of Arthur Fire Department. Captain Rob Schmidt worked hard gathering the images that inspired the composite. The picture includes a portrait of Ivan, Arthur Fire Department’s crest, a poem and sketches of the 1947 Chevy Pumper and the 2005 Spartan Rosenbauer --  50 years between the purchases of the fire trucks and Fair has ridden on both of them. ?Fair had the last words and he thanked everyone in attendance for the memorable presentation.?“It has been my pleasure to work for you and I’ll continue to be available to lend a hand wherever needed,” Fair said.
He received a standing ovation.