Member Profile on BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN (RETIRED)
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huck Guy was born in Westminster B.C. in 1962. His father was an RCMP officer, and his mother worked for Royal Bank. He lived in Vancouver for five years, and then Nelson B.C. for the next three years. His dad was transferred to Ottawa in 1971, and his family was there until 1979, when they moved to Toronto. The Chief Scout Award is the highest award which can be achieved at the Scout level in Scouts Canada. At age 15, Chuck was awarded the Chief Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of Canada. He began racing motocross in 1976, and raced for 16 years, the last 11 at the pro level. He raced in Supercross events in Montreal and Toronto, and represented Canada at the 1994 World 250cc Grand Prix in Unadilla, New York. After high school, from 1984 until 1988, Chuck worked at several motorcycle shops, and then worked in landscape construction. Another job he enjoyed was driving a Snowcat (grooming machine) for Blackcomb Mountain Ski Resort. A benefit that Chuck enjoyed was that this job allowed him to ski for more than 200 days in those two seasons. The North York Fire Department hired Chuck in September of 1988, and after his recruit training, he and Phil Bonanno were stationed at 112 on C platoon. Station 112 was a busy place that held a pumper, tower, PC, DC, Communications, Mechanical, and a runner’s van. A runner’s van was like an air light that responded to all fires, and also delivered items from stores, and firefighter pay cheques to all 18 North York fire stations. Chuck says, “As the junior men, we would usually be sent to pick up the lunch order. Twenty orders of fish and chips or hamburgers and ‘don’t get it wrong’! Back then, our gear was the thigh high rubber boots, three-quarter length petch coat, rubber gloves in the summer or ‘fireballs’ in the winter, and a helmet with earflaps. It was a good experience starting at that station, as I quickly got to know everyone on my platoon when I was assigned on the runner’s van.”
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