Left to right, Deputy Mayor Kelli Hawtin, Sgt. William Picard, Const. Jason Wiebe, Const. Kathleen Dawe, Const. Joshua Trefry, Const. Heather Healey, and North Battleford Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief Lindsay Holm. The officers received Certificates of Merit. Absent are: Const. Colton Cassaday, Cpl. Mark Burnett and Trevor Janvier who also received awards. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff) 

By Angela Brown

Apartment building fire efforts

North Battleford RCMP officers, citizen honoured for bravery

Nov 15, 2023 | 2:48 PM

Several Battlefords RCMP officers and a local citizen, who were recognized with Royal Canadian Humane Association Awards of Bravery, were honoured at North Battleford city council’s meeting last night for their work helping others and saving lives at an apartment building fire one cold January night last year.

The cause of the North Battleford fire on the 1400 block of 102 Street was determined to be arson. According to prior reports, in total up to around 40 adults and up to 10 children were displaced as a result of the fire that destroyed the apartment building.

RCMP officers Sgt. William Picard, Const. Colton Cassaday, Const. Joshua Trefry, Const. Jason Wiebe, Cpl. Mark Burnett, Const. Kathleen Dawe, and Const. Heather Healey were all honoured for their efforts.

A resident of the apartment building, Trevor Janvier, also assisted in these lifesaving heroics. Janvier , who was unable to attend city council’s meeting, received the silver award.

The city noted those awarded were “integral to ensuring everyone from the apartment building made it out of that fire alive.”

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Apartment building fire residents Betsy Guetre, left, and her partner, Trevor Janvier, shown at the donation room for the fire victims at the Tropical Inn last year. Janvier is among those receiving bravery awards. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Fire Chief and Director of Protective Services Lindsay Holm described the three-storey-building blaze as “one of the biggest, fast moving fires” he had seen in his entire career.

“When I briefed council on that fire, it was through the actions of the people I see here today that that fire turned out so well,” he said. “We never had a single fatality. There were a few injuries and I believe a few of the constables that are here today sustained some.”

For their actions, the RCMP officers, and Mr. Janvier, were awarded Royal Canadian Humane Association (RCHA) medals at a recent ceremony at Government House in Regina. Sgt. Picard and Const. Cassaday received the silver medal. Corporal Burnett and Constables Trefry, Wiebe, Healey and Dawe received the bronze medal, and Janvier received the silver medal for his efforts.

“It [the fire] was coming out of two apartments and both exits. There were a lot of people trapped there,” Holm said. “My hat’s off to all of these officers for the bravery that they exemplified that day. It was truly a remarkable effort. I think from both the RCMP’s perspective, the ambulance’s perspective and my firefighters as well. They did a great job when they were battling that blaze…It was a long, long evening. I think we worked into the early morning and into the next day. Thank you all for your efforts.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow