Three years after his death, former Collingwood Fire Capt. Paul Hurst was added to the memorial for fallen firefighters and his fatal cancer was officially recognized as a line-of-duty death.
Donna Hurst, his widow, attended a service at Queen's Park earlier this month to see her husband's name added, and was grateful to attend with her family.
"It was a nice service, with firefighters parading in, and the bagpipes playing," said Donna.
The pipes were special to Donna and Paul. While he was sick, he arranged a private bagpipe concert for her birthday.
"We felt proud," said Donna. "We are a family of firefighters."
Donna's grandfather was a firefighter, and her and Paul's son, Andrew is a firefighter in Guelph. Their daughter married a firefighter who works for the Wasaga Beach department, and their grandson is pursuing a career in firefighting.
So the Oct. 6 service at Queen's Park was poignant and important to Paul's family and colleagues. Donna said it would have made Paul proud to have his name on the memorial with so many other firefighters.
"There's definitely honour," said Andrew Hurst, Donna and Paul's son. "That word really just sums it up."
Paul Hurst died June 18, 2021 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. His death was marked by a wave of sympathy for his widow and a community-wide remembrance and grieving over the loss of a friend and active volunteer.
Paul grew up in Collingwood, living on Minnesota Street for his whole life, first in his family home, then in the home directly next door. He started working for the town as a desk clerk, working up to deputy clerk, then joining the Collingwood Fire Department in 1973, where he stayed until he retired in July 2000.
Hurst was a captain at the department when both the current chief, Dan Thurman, and the current deputy chief, Stephen Emo, started at the local station as firefighters. Both remember his kindness, advice and concern for new recruits' safety.
"He was a very proud firefighter," said Andrew. "He really, really liked his job and really enjoyed working for the Town of Collingwood. That was a big deal, helping people and just paying back."
Emo attended the service with Stephen Parkes, who was there representing Collingwood's Professional Firefighters Association, which led the charge to get Hurst's name on the wall.
It was the Collingwood Fire Department that put forward Paul Hurst's name for the Ontario Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall. When Paul died, pancreatic cancer wasn't recognized in Ontario as one of the cancers that firefighters can get because of exposure while in the line of duty. It has since been added, and that prompted Collingwood Fire to campaign for Hurst's name on the memorial wall.
Andrew Hurst said he also helped to get his dad recognized, and that includes the Ontario, Canadian and International memorials for fallen firefighters.
"Statistics show we are more prone to these cancers," explained Hurst, adding that the recognition for firefighters like his dad is important. "It wasn't one call that they went to that was fatal, it was a buildup of their whole career and everything they were exposed to that resulted in their death ... So it's still recognizing that."
In addition to Paul's name on the wall, Donna received a medal recognizing her husband died in the line of duty. Andrew said his dad's name will be added to the national and international memorials next year.
Paul's name was one of dozens to be added to the memorial this year. To read more about the fallen firefighters memorial, visit the Ontario Professional Firefighters' Association website.
