ee ————— Marlanne Brorup- Weston _ As I putter about the house, getting ready for Christmas, I am reminded of some of the. traditions our family has developed over the last ten years. My husband and the two boys always go out for the - Christmas tree and we always ' put it up.on the 23rd, just like when I was alittle girlin Den. mark. Instead of regular Christmas cards, we design a ‘family newsletter and send that to our friends and family. We | look forward to the concert at the children’s school and are never disappointed in the feel- ing of pride and joy as we watch small shepherds trip in. . their gowns and human reindeer clip-clop across the stage. It is truly a blessing to share these moments as a family, In the long run, they mean so much more than presents and - too many candy canes; they represent a life-time of. memories to be shared with the next generation. There is one tradition that especially moves me in ‘December, On the Sunday before Christmas Eve, after - dark, we wait in suspended animation for the far-off tink- — ling of bells and song. All six of us charge up to the second floor to see, and yes! time for © the kids to get into their coats and boots because the Thorn- hill Fire Dept. Christmas truck is turning onto Aspen Street and will soon move by our: - house. It’s a spectacular ex- _. perience: lights and music and firefighters flinging treats to eager children as Santa perches atop the Big Red Fire Truck. This is the true Christmas spirit and its magic is spell-binding. This year I will probably choke back the tears when the Christmas Fire Truck ambles by. Our family has more than one reason to be grateful to — our volunteer firefighters. _ Every year our kids bring home the customary fire drill sheets from school and we rehearse what to do in case of fire. This year we found out the hard way just how frighten- ing and deadly fire can be. We also found out how dedicated ‘and fast-moving our volunteer firefighters are. To add to this, ‘our family had already had more than intimate knowledge _of the workings of the Thorn- ‘hill Fire Dept. And I had been ‘made an Honorary Fire Fighter. Imagine my embar- rassment when I was the one who had to rush to the phone, because my four-year-old had _ ‘set his room on fire! Last spring I was invited by the Thornhill Fire Dept. to | design a 1989 Calendar which oT - Reflections on the true ‘meaning 0 of Christmas Ss he ~ Contributed by — = ‘Thibault We \ RRR SO Vee ROO Sse:0 eon 7G ppee oo rae RAN Ve _ AAAI PA MAA Wi] [BRIGHTLY DECORATED FIRE TRUCKS and CAmSimas Aave become a Tracktunsl December scere th, Thorr/uill . [MERRY CHRISTMAS frtm everytne Bt the Thorrbrlt Volunteer Fire Dep't! Q i ce ———. Lys . wee Mut ian one \ 4 could be sold as a 4 fundraiser. The Fire Dept. badly needed a mid-shis, pump and this seemed - an interesting way to, raise the funds. I was reluctant to take on this project, because although I am an artist, 1 do | not make a specialty of draw- ing trucks — in fact, I cannot. ever remember having had to draw any object with wheels before. But I thought, this will be a real learning experience and the kids will enjoy being a part of the research, It may- ‘even teach them something about the dangers of fire... Well, learn we did. For three weeks, we lived and breathed pumpers and tankers and jad- ders and hoses. We looked through hundreds of photos of fires and became right at home at the Fire Hall. I spent hilarious evenings with the - Assistant Fire Chief, Bill, and his wife Pat, as they told stories and jokes about the un- . predictable life of a firefighter. This brought back painful memories of my sister’s family’s house fire in Woodland Park some years ago. I learned too that the firefighters do more than fight fires: they fight muscular dystrophy, too, and they repair and wrap gifts for over 200 needy children every Christmas. They participate in Riverboat Days and join forces with the Terrace Fire Dept. and fire- fighters in the bush, battling forest fires. School children are welcomed on tours of the Fire “Hall and the firefighters spend time talking to young children, — who like my son, have set fires. And on a daily and weekly basis, these volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, as well as maintaining the Fire Hall and its equipment. Why am I telling you all this? Because this is Christmas and it is a time when we reflect’ — The Terrace Centennial Lions presents our Christmas -Crab Sale $5.00 Cooked or Alive Friday, December 23 1:00 p.m. onward | At Petro-Can parking lot on Lakelse Avenue on the past year and do good to those around us. The Thornhill Fire Dept. published their 1989 Calendar _ this summer and it has been on sale since the fall, A significant way.to help our community continue its efforts in fighting fires is to buy a calendar — as a stocking stuffer, as an educa- tional gift for a child, as a gift ’ for former Thornhill or Terrace | residents, not to speak of that person you just don’t know what to buy! Give one to a lit- tle artist with a package of felt markers. And don’t forget to . buy one for yourself and hang it in a noticeable place. You may, as I did one morning in September, need that emergen- cy number for fire! (You may. one day be very thankful that you bought a calendar and helped make the dream of that, mid ship pump for the Thor- - nhill Fire Dept. a reality. It’s one way of preventing the hor-'. ror and destruction of fire). So show you care about our community and have a safe and Merry Christmas! a Or ‘Twas the week before | X-mas Sale © 10 - 30% off 9 selected items £06, Calendars, cards & books F SOO CRIES BOOKS - 16 Es BOOKS BOOKS (BOOK SBOCXKS - _ BOOKS BOOKS BOK. BO OKSBOOKS | | Misty River Books 4606 Lakelse Avenue, Terrace, B.C. Telephone 635-4428 | Monday to Friday — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gp. 1D cox BEER and WINE S Monday to Saturday and Holidays 9 A.M. to 11 P.M. Cepia 635-6300 TORE Sunday ee 11A.M.to11P.M. 9°) youl PA ogy eS STS AECEREIN SLEeC eens SCT ope Che eee ES