"Phoenix”, the first of nine fire trailers to be donated to the Siska First Nation community near Lytton and eight other BC First Nation communities, is now complete and ready for service. The fire trailer, which can be towed or airlifted to operate in hard to reach areas and provide rapid response to smaller fires before they become big ones, can also serve to fight fires right in the community. Rotary Club of Steveston and Rotary District 5040 leaders and a representative of Disaster Aid Canada, a Rotary organization based in Ladysmith, which contributed $350,000 to the project, dedicated the prototype, at a ceremony in March, but the final version has greater capacity and is decked out in full livery.
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| Past District 5040 Governor Bob Blacker (2nd right), of Steveston Rotary, who leads the fire trailer project, explains some of the features of the completed fire trailer |
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| Steveston Rotary member Bill McEwen, who contributed his career engineering skills throughout the process of developing the first trailer is pleased the trailer will finally go into action as the fire season starts in BC |
The 2,000-litre dual tank on the prototype has now been replaced with a 3,000-litre metal tank with a heater if required. The trailer also bears the full livery of Siska Fire Service and recognition of Rotary and Disaster Aid Canada sponsorship.
The trailer will be on display for the tens of thousands of Rotary members from around the world at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary June 21 to 25, 2025.
Displayed near the fire trailer will be another initiative of Steveston Rotary: the highly valued, successful Write To Read program, providing kids' library/learning centres to approaching 30 First Nation communities throughout the province.
