The Craven Volunteer Fire Department received a donation of handmade teddy bears from the SaskTel Pioneers to bring comfort to the community’s youngest members during emergencies.
Linsay Kozak is the emergency response coordinator for the village as well as a dedicated firefighter. “It’s not always easy to know what to say or what to do to comfort somebody, and hopes that maybe these teddy bears can help us comfort someone that needs it,” said Linsay.
The donation, which arrived in mid-February, came unexpectedly from the SaskTel Pioneers.
The SaskTel Pioneers is a volunteer group composed of retired SaskTel employees, their families and supporters.
They had discovered Craven’s fire department through their Facebook page and offered to send a batch of their handmade bears, soft symbols of care in the face of crisis.
“It’s volunteers helping volunteers, that sense of community support really means a lot,” said Linsay.
Mary Wilhelm is the coordinator of the Hug A Bear project at SaskTel Pioneers. The project has been active for more than 25 years, and it produces close to 100 handmade bears per year.
“There are more than 10 people involved in making just one single bear,” said Wilhelm. The bears are distributed exclusively to the rural areas in the province, specifically to the RCMP and the multiple fire departments.
“We do it because we’re hoping it’ll bring joy to someone,” said Wilhelm, who often gets responses from people whose kids have received a bear after an accident, “They can’t believe that we made them so these kids have something to hold on to when there’s an emergency.”
While none of the bears have been handed out just yet, Linsay is grateful to have them on hand should the need arise, “It was such a thoughtful surprise when they reached out to us,” said Linsay.
The Fire Department, which consists of 12 active members, is fully volunteer-run. Linsay herself wears several hats in the village.
Despite its small size, the department is well-trained and always ready to respond. From grass fires and structure fires to traffic control and EMS support during medical landings, the firefighters in Craven take their responsibilities seriously.
Colin Kozak, the Craven’s Fire Department Chief finds recruiting volunteers and scheduling trainings the biggest challenges of the department, “It really difficult to get people volunteer and fit the trainings with their schedule,” said Colin.
They have multiple training sessions throughout the year, and they are always looking to keep the team as prepared as possible.
“The goal is to make sure that when the moment comes, everything feels like second nature,” said Linsay.
The department gets funding from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Village itself. However, sometimes they have found themselves in the need to raise funding on their own.
“When we had to buy the fire truck, we held pancake breakfasts, dances, barbeques and raffles,” said Colin, as the team’s strong camaraderie and commitment to constant improvement helped them navigate all the challenges.
This spirit of duty and teamwork is shared throughout the department, from the firefighters’ rotating tasks during an incident to their swift response times whenever a call comes in.
“As long as someone’s in town and available, we’re there,” Linsay said.
Lindsay also hopes that more community members will consider joining the fire department.
“We’re always looking for more volunteers. More is always better,” said Linsay. Those looking to volunteer can learn more at the Craven Fire Department’s Facebook page.
