Support still coming in for a fallen brother

Times Reporter

 

Members of the Okotoks Fire Department (OFD) came to Strathmore on Dec. 6 to present the Strathmore Rural Fire Department (SFRD) with a cheque for $500 in honour of Nathan Haase. 

Haase, an employee of Enmax and a volunteer firefighter with the SFRD, was electrocuted in late August while working on power lines in southwest Calgary. 

“It was for one of our fallen brothers Nathan Haase. It’s something we could all relate to, he was a volunteer firefighter and he worked a side job too like most of our members do, so it was a cause that was kind of close to our hearts,” said Cam Peek-philpott, President of the Okotoks Firefighters Association. 

“One of our members, his name is Steve Bailie, he works at Enmax in Calgary so he worked with Nathan on occasion. He was the one that brought it up to us originally after we had all heard it from the news and media. He seemed to know a little bit more about it and it was a cause that was really close to him.”

“It was quite touching actually,’ said Ninette Maga, deputy chief with the SFRD.

“Basically from our side what happened is the family of Nathan designated the Strathmore Rural Fire Fighters Association as where they would like the money to go if anybody wanted to contribute at the memorial service. Since then it’s kind of skyrocketed.”

One woman, an advocate with Strathmore Victim Services, recently lost her husband. Her son was a firefighter with Haase and she requested that half of any funds collected for her be donated to the Nathan Haase fund. 

Trevor Dalstra, President of the SFRD firefighters association wants to thank the community for their support, and let people know the funds collected are being put to good use. 

“What we’ve done is one of our bush buggies is reaching its life span and we had an opportunity to purchase a truck so we did that with some of the funds from Nathan’s memorial,” said Dalstra. 

“We also are working on establishing a scholarship through a school.”

Dalstra said the community has given until it hurt, something he and everyone who knew Haase are grateful for.