Longest

Longest-serving Kentville volunteer firefighter retiring after 65 years

Clem Fairclough joined the department in 1961, shortly after immigrating to Canada from England

George (Clem) Fairclough has been fighting fires in Kentville, N.S., since 1961. At 85, he has decided it is time to step down.

Fairclough’s family immigrated to Canada from England that year. Shortly after arriving in the Annapolis Valley town, he noticed the local fire department was raising money to buy a new truck.

“I gave them some money, and I asked them how to join,” he said.

Before long, he was aboard that new truck on his way to his first fire. That call launched a 65-year career — the longest in the history of the Kentville Volunteer Fire Department.

Looking back, Fairclough recalls several major blazes, including the 1966 fire at the Canada Foods processing plant and a 1985 downtown fire that kept crews on scene all day.

His time with the department spanned his entire career as a copier and typewriter technician at Valley Stationers in Kentville, where he worked for 45 years before retiring in 2008.

Balancing firefighting with work and family life "takes a bit of doing," he said, but his employer was always supportive. Over time, firefighting became a family affair.

Fairclough’s son, Ian, and daughter, Janet, both followed him into service. Ian is currently the department’s deputy chief, while Janet served 17 years before retiring.

Janet joined at age 20, inspired by her father's work and eager "to do something different and hopefully prove that I could do it, that it wasn't just for men.”

Fairclough considers the growing acceptance of women firefighters one of the changes he witnessed during his tenure.

“They're really good firefighters,” he said, adding his daughter and her friend were among the early female recruits. “We've had a lot of women join since then, and they really do the job.”

Father and children occasionally responded to calls together.

“You're still family, but you're more in work mode,” Janet said.

Fairclough was diagnosed with cancer last year and recently underwent surgery.

“Almost six months past the operation and diagnosis, I'm still going," he said. "Very lucky, but I think it is time to give it up.”

Though stepping down from active service, Fairclough plans to stay connected. He keeps a radio scanner at home to listen in on calls, and as a veteran member, he will continue attending department meetings and social events.

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Ben Dornan is a reporter for CBC Nova Scotia based in Halifax. You can get in contact with him via email at ben.dornan@cbc.ca.