Belmont Fire Department honour its members

On May 9th, 2026, the Belmont Volunteer Firefighters Association sponsored the Flag Raising and Dedication event at the Belmont Fire Hall.

A huge number of tables and chairs were initially set up to accommodate the crowd, but more had to be added, with over 100 people attending.

Volunteer Fire Fighters and community members came from not only the RM of Prairie Lakes, but also from neighbouring municipalities to support this event.

MP Grant Jackson and MLA Doyle Piwniuk were also in attendance, offering words of support.

The event began with the Past Fire Chief of the Belmont Fire Hall and the current President and Chairman of the Belmont Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, Dennis Pryke, welcoming everyone.

The flag raising was completed by Grant Jackson, MP, and Rod Durham, Chief of the Belmont Fire Department. Grant donated the flag for this event.

Past Fire Chief Barry Campbell read the Belmont Fire Department’s deceased firefighters: Harold Box, Harold Boyce, Alvin Delorme, Bert Lambkin, Tom Carpenter, Sam Woods, Jim Tully, Allan Hanna, Gordon Davis, Allan Chambers, David Decima, Art Hardy, Frank Kimball, Lorne Lambkin, Reg McWilliams, Ken Myers, Percy Pryke, Percy Elliott, Brian Hendrickson, Donald Lambkin, Ralph McFarlane, Robert Morgan, Kelly Scott, William Pratt, Raymond Cooper, Earl McCutchin, David Steele, Art Arbethnot, Leonard Abstreiter, Jim Dalgleish, James Matchett, Edward Verhelst, Donald Ayres, Shannon Myers.

This list was followed by the ringing of the bell, and Bob Williamson playing The Last Post.

Suzanne Draper-Spring, Secretary Treasurer, then read the list of past volunteer members: Davy Ramsden, Mike Hurst, Robert Bevin, Andrew Myers, Dennis Wanless, Lane Wanless, Andrew Speck, Michael Sigvaldason, Keegan Clemis, Jason Cryderman, Dan Cryderman, Sharon McLeod, Barry Campbell, Jamie Canada, Jackie Canada, Cathy Davison, Gary Davison, Stephan Dolder, Shawn Hebner, Greg Lewis, Troy Matchett, Glenn McGill, Raymond Mullin, Harvey Myers, Florence Robinson, Michael Spring, Ray Caslick, Robert Wanless, Blaine Williamson, Kevin Williamson, Doug Delorme, Ron Hebner, Garnet Lee, Cody Manning, Daryle Manning, Jackie McGill, Dennis Myers, John Olver, Arthur Robinson, Robert Scott, James Webster, Robert Williamson, James Williamson, James Koronko, Wendy Koronko, Carl Spring, Lairde Steele, Joyce Pryke, Ryan Demsanski, Len Abstreiter, Chad Hebner, Scott Campbell, Ray Caslick.

Belmont Fire Department Chief, Rod Durham, read the active members: Rod Durham, Dennis Pryke, Jeff Boles, Douglas Cline, Harvey Kroeker, Chris Collins, Daryl Myers, Michael MacKay, Daniel Spring, Henry Wiebe, Wyatt VanDamme, Matt Holowaty, Bruce Sharp, Suzanne Draper-Spring, Secretary-Treasurer.

Sam Martinez read the list of past Fire Chiefs: Percy Elliott, Gordon Davis, Edward Verhelst, Ralph McFarlane, Dennis Myers, Barry Campbell, Troy Matchett, Kevin Williamson, Dennis Pryke, Rod Durham.

Dennis Pryke followed with a brief history of the Belmont Fire Department:

“There are two undeniable facts:

1. Our Volunteer Belmont Fire Department was born from need, a need that still exists to this day.

2. With all firefighters past and present, none of us is here for ourselves; we are all here to serve our community.

This Department started from humble beginnings.
We are going to step back to 1965 when a water system installation was initiated in Belmont to aid in fire suppression. The project was halted due to freezing temperatures, with plans to resume construction in the spring.

Unfortunately, on March 3 1966, a major fire broke out on Belmont’s Main Street.

Belmont didn’t have a pumper truck at the time.

Without enough water or equipment, the damage could have been much worse without the support of the Ninette Fire Department.
That fateful morning, eleven structures were destroyed; fortunately, no lives were lost.

A community business owner, after watching the owner, after watching the destruction unfold, clearly saw the need for a dedicated pumper truck in Belmont and took it upon himself to contact the Winnipeg Fire Department for a quote on a secondhand pumper.

With a quote in hand, the request to purchase this essential piece of equipment was escalated to the Town Board and then the RM of Strathcona, who agreed to fund the purchase on the condition that 12 individuals would commit to becoming active members of the Department.

Everything started falling into place: the water system was installed, fire hydrants dotted the streets, twelve dedicated firefighters were recruited, and a pumper truck was purchased.
So was born the Volunteer Belmont Fire Department.

Another positive spin-off of this was that fire insurance premiums for everyone in Belmont were greatly reduced.

The Department slowly built itself, continually purchasing equipment necessary for the ongoing safety of the firefighters and the community they supported.

During the history of the Department, for seventeen of those years there were also First Responders in the Fire Hall. The two groups worked seamlessly together to ensure the health and safety of community members.

In the 1970’s, the Province of Manitoba created nine Mutual Aid Districts to further enhance the support each Department received in their time of need. This change continues to benefit all of Manitoba’s fire halls and communities.

In 1980, it was time to retire the original pumper and replace it with a brand-new Chevy King Seagraves, capable of pumping much more water, allowing the Department to cover larger fires. Soon after, a 1,000-gallon water truck was added to their equipment roster.

As I like to say, “little fires little water, big fires, big water”.

A new fire hall was built in Belmont in 2016, and in January of 2021, a new pumper truck from Acres Emergency Vehicles, operated by Green Acres Colony, was delivered.

Over the years, extensive training regimens were added and tweaked to ensure the firefighters were armed with the most up-to-date knowledge and expertise to not only ensure their safety during any emergency they were called out to, but also deliver the critical support needed to community members, and cottage owners as well.

Today, we are fortunate to have available to us a nearly new pumper truck purchased from Greenacres Industry of Wawanesa on January 4, 2021, housed in a modern Fire Hall built in 2016, along with many pieces of firefighting apparatus. The advice given to me as a very young boy still motivates me today, as it has over my 60 years of involvement.

“There are some things in the world that money can’t buy. One of those things is the good feeling you get inside because you did something nice for someone for nothing.”

The unveiling of the plaque, generously donated by past Fire Chief Barry Campbell and his family, then took place. Barry shared his thoughts with us about his time on the Belmont Fire Department and why they donated the plaque.

“I was born and raised in Belmont. I served for over 20 years in this Department, many of them as Chief. I also served for over 20 years as the Mutual Aid Coordinator for the Turtle Mountain region before leaving the area in 1996. I was the Fire Chef when they moved the Fire Department from a building at the top of the street to one at the bottom! We were fortunate that we didn’t have too many catastrophes, but if we did, all of our members were trained and ready. Everyone who was listed today was the inspiration for the plaque.” When asked if he had any other family members who have become firefighters, he quickly answered, “We have 3 grandsons who are all firefighters (in other areas) and our son-in-law is a fire chief.”

I turned to Barry’s wife, Kathy and asked what life was like for her when Barry was on the Belmont Department. “Life was very busy, he was not only the Fire Chief but he was on many Boards as well. I helped where I could, and for the Department, sometimes I was even on the radio.”

The Belmont Music in the Park volunteers were on hand to serve coffee, tea, and cake, which were enjoyed by all.

PHOTO CAPTION: Brandon – Souris MP Grant Jackson (left) donated and helped current Belmont Fire Chief Rod Durham at the Belmont Volunteer Firefighters Association flag raising and dedication ceremony on May 9th. PHOTO SUZANNE PADDOCK