Limerick Township ice cream social, barbecue and pig roast supports fire department

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Limerick Fire Service's ice cream social and FireSmart initiative and the Limerick Friends' Club's barbecue and pig roast was a big success on July 29, with proceeds going toward the Limerick Fire Department, who are putting the funds toward a toy drive and Christmas party for the children of Limerick, Wollaston and Tudor and Cashel. Overall, the event raised $1,200.

The Limerick Friends' Club's Jo-Anne Carrol told Bancroft This Week that Lockhart Brothers Contracting were sponsoring a pig roast, and that there was going to be burgers, hot dogs, salads, and ice cream for attendees.

“There will be an open mic, fire equipment demonstrations, games for the kids. This is for the Limerick Fire Association. The boys want the proceeds to go towards a Christmas party for the kids, like when they were kids,” she says.

The event went really well on July 29, despite the overcast skies for the first part of the event. Featuring a presentation by Ken Cox and Smokey the Bear on fire safety at 2 p.m., the afternoon also had an ice cream social, fun and games for the kids, an opportunity to try out some of the fire equipment, an information booth on fire safety and the FireSmart program with forest rangers Stuart Searle, Olivia Hooper, Geordi Ferguson, and Liam Henderson.

Attendee Ron Howson said it was all a great idea.

“People need to smarten up around fires. A lot of people have way too big a campfire,” he says.

Tudor and Cashel Township Councillor Elain Holloway, who was there helping out, said that the fire presentation from Ken Cox with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry went great.

“He just talked about the history of the area. So I guess in 2022 there weren't a lot of forest fires due to enough rain. He was showing us how many forest fires we've had in this area and right close to home. It's something we need to know, how to look after our properties. And FireSmart has a new app online with suggestions to make your home safer from fires,” she says.

Limerick fire prevention officer Cindy Fuerth introduced the FireSmart Community Program in Wollaston and Limerick this past spring. FireSmart is a national program that helps Canadians increase their resilience to wildfires and minimize their negative impacts, FireSmart was founded over two decades ago to address concerns about wildfires in the wildland urban interface. With climate change, and the destructive effects of the derecho on Limerick Township back in May, 2022 that left many trees dead and more susceptible to the risk of fire, FireSmart's programs to prevent wildfire and reduce the risk of these conflagrations are now more important than ever. For more information, please go to www. firesmartcanada.ca.

The overall event (FireSmart information, fire services demonstrations, barbecue and pig roast) was sponsored by Lockhart Brothers Contracting, Mr. Stone Landscaping, Limerick Fire Service, Limerick Township and the Limerick Friends Club. According to a Facebook post by Lockhart Brothers Contracting, the barbecue ready pig prepared for the pig roast was raised in Hastings County and processed at a government inspected facility.

Lockhart said that the Friends' Club had been organizing the barbecue and pig roast for a few weeks, including renting a pig roaster from Lindsay for the occasion, which had to be started up at 7 a.m. to ensure the pig was fully roasted by dinnertime at 5:30 p.m.

Lockhart told Bancroft This Week on July 31 that the event went great overall.

“We raised $1,200 for the Limerick Fire Service, which will go toward the children's Christmas party,” she says. “It was a fantastic turnout and we're hoping to do it again next year.”