Honouring comrades

By Lethbridge Herald on September 12, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

Following a Fallen Firefighter Memorial parade, members of the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, family members, dignitaries, and community members gathered at Southminster United Church for a memorial ceremony Thursday morning to honour firefighters who have died.

Neil Laboske, honour guard lead and paramedic-firefighter with LFES told reporters that the ceremony is very significant for them. 

“The honour guard is built on tradition and our annual ceremony to recognize any fallen firefighters that we were not necessarily around to recognize at the time, and we like to come here and do a whole solemn recognition of everyone who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Laboske. 

The annual event coincides with the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, which resulted in the deaths of 343 NYFD members, and contributed to the deaths of hundreds more later on.

Laboske said that for him, the ceremony is a time to reflect and mourn the loss of life, while also recognizing that many firefighters have had life-changing events while working the job. 

“Injuries, mental health, all sorts of factors. It is a time for us to also reflect on that.”

He said this year, 150 members who were registered with the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) who had work-related deaths in North America were honoured during the ceremony.  

Last weekend, Laboske was among a group of LFES members that took part in the 2025 Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Ottawa, where a member of LFES was honoured. 

“It was solemn, but it was really good. We had the Little’s family there as unfortunately Paul Little passed away while on the job, so his family accompanied us there and joined us in a presentation,” said Laboske. “We were able to see the name of their fallen family member on the wall, on the monument in Ottawa.” 

Paul Little has become the 11th member of Local District 237 on the monument wall, according to the Line of Duty Database of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

With the local ceremony being open to the public on Thursday morning, when talking about the importance of the community’s support, Laboske said it is very impactful on the LFES members to have it. 

“It makes a big difference. In our job sometimes there aren’t a lot of everyday thank you and it is easy to get caught up in the fact that it’s just work. 

“It is great to have this type of events for them to show their support for us, as it emboldens us and gives us a little bit more reason to get back out there.” 

Greg Adair, LEFS chief, said the ceremony provides members an opportunity to thank and support the families of fallen firefighters. 

“It’s a time of comraderie, where we get to come and reflect on the work that we do as a public servant. We are here to serve people, and this is also an opportunity for the public to say their thanks for the work that we do.”

Adair said that to know that they have the support of the people in the community for the dangerous work they do and put their lives at risk is important to them.