Mourners left in lurch by last-minute firefighter rain delay
· Toronto Sun
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A ceremony to honour 14 Toronto firefighters was suddenly postponed with wet weather in the forecast, with relatives and mourners given just hours’ worth of notice.
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The Toronto Sun has been told that at least one family travelled from outside of the province for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony, originally scheduled for the morning of May 24, but that has not been confirmed.
A veteran Toronto firefighter told the Sun he had “never heard of anything so asinine.”
The firefighter, who the Sun is not naming to protect him from reprisals from his employer, wondered why the call to postpone was made so late, as rain had long been in the forecast. He also said he didn’t understand why the city couldn’t have set up tents and gone ahead with the memorial.
Emails shared with the Sun as well as social media posts show the memorial was officially put off late in the afternoon of May 23, a Saturday, roughly 18 hours before it was supposed to start at 10:30 a.m.
“This is one of the most important days on our calendar,” a Toronto Fire Services email, sent out to staff, says. “It is not simply a ceremony. It is a duty of remembrance.
“The names on this memorial are not just names carved in stone. They are our family.”
Neither the TFS nor Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, which jointly co-host the memorial, responded to the Sun ’s requests for comment.
The Fallen Firefighter Memorial, which features a black stone monument bearing the names of Toronto firefighters who have died, is in a public park right on the water, not far from the Harbourfront Centre. Fourteen men were to be honoured at this year’s ceremony.
‘Abundance of caution’
Rain is not unheard of during the ceremonies. The memorial service in June 2022 took place during rain , with small canopy tents set up to keep mourners dry.
Environment Canada data shows that while Toronto was drenched the day before, on the day of the ceremony just 2.7 mm of rain fell .
“Due to forecasted extreme weather conditions, tomorrow’s Fallen Firefighter ceremony has been postponed out of an abundance of caution for all involved,” the TFS said in a message put out on social media on the evening of May 23. “Additional details regarding a rescheduled date will be shared when confirmed.”
Sources told the Sun the postponement comes as firefighters have been told to be mindful of how they communicate online, including on social media.
Recently, the TFS has fought to keep secret the details of its leadership attending World Series games while on duty.
While the Sun has been told that Chief Jim Jessop and deputy chiefs were in the Rogers Centre during last fall’s MLB championship, the TFS has refused to specify which days members of its top brass were there, despite a freedom-of-information request.
The TFS says it believes its executive-level staff technically don’t work shifts, and thus the freedom-of-information request doesn’t apply to them. The Sun has filed an appeal with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
City Hall put out an all-staff memo last month warning that accepting gifts related to the World Cup, including “special access” to events, would violate Toronto’s public service bylaw. If staff are required to work an event, they’ll be expected to be able to prove it, the memo said.