Standing in Ottawa’s Memorial Park, surrounded by hundreds of fellow firefighters and families of those who have fallen, Haliburton’s Chris Iles said he was humbled thinking about the sacrifices people make every day to protect their communities.
The Iles clan were in the nation’s capital Sept. 7 to watch as family patriarch, Mike Iles, had his name added to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial. He died in November 2022 following a year-long battle with lung cancer – a disease he contracted following three decades of firefighting in Haliburton County.
Iles was one of 138 names inscribed into the monument last month. Chris, Iles’ son, was there alongside his mom, Wendy, sister Tessa, son Joe, girlfriend Carrie, and her son Blake.
“It was a heavy, emotionally-charged day. It really humbles me and puts things into perspective that 138 people put it all on the line,” Chris told The Highlander.
Firefighting is in the Iles’ blood. Joe Iles, Chris’ grandfather, served with the Dysart et al department for more than 40 years. Mike had 29 years of service, joining the ranks as a volunteer in 1993, becoming captain in 2010, and chief in 2016. He took a leave of absence in early 2022, determined to beat cancer for a second time, but never returned.
Chris, a volunteer with the department, said one of the hardest things about losing his dad was knowing he won’t have the chance to build on the bond he had with Joe, who was one at the time of his passing.
There were many similar stories from other families in Ottawa, though, Chris said.
“There were people there of all ages. We were sat next to a couple of women, maybe in their 40s, and I thought ‘OK, they’ve lost a loved one as well’, maybe a dad, like me. Then, this little girl came over asking about where her dad’s name was going to be. That really hit home,” Chris said, noting that man left behind his wife and two children after dying in a fire.
“Another name got called and a woman walked up on stage with her two little kids, who were carrying a Team Canada hockey jersey with their dad’s name on it. It made me realize that no matter if you’re a volunteer or a career firefighter, the risk is always there, no matter who you are or what you do,” he added.
A full-time paramedic by day, or night depending on the shift, Iles said he bumped into a colleague he’s worked with for over a decade at the service. His dad was a Toronto firefighter and passed away from cancer brought on by firefighting in 2007. Chris also recognized one of the men handing out helmets on-stage – a Ministry of Natural Resources forest firefighter stationed in Haliburton County.
“This is something that touches everyone, everywhere,” Chris said. He’s grateful knowing his dad’s legacy lives on in Ottawa – and that he’ll have a place to take Joe to honour his dad’s sacrifice.
“He already knows the value his pops had in his community – he’s in Kindergarten now and learning about Terry Fox. The other day, he came home with a painting, it asked who he was going to be running for and he said he’s running for pops,” Chris said.
He thanked Rob Thibert with the Minden fire department and Mike French, chief in Algonquin Highlands, for their support – including submitting the application to have Iles honoured.
Chris said he’s in the process of setting up a memorial at the Dysart station for his dad. The family received a personalized helmet and medallion from the service, and the volunteer firefighter believes they belong at the fire hall.
“At some point I’d like to get a shadow box done up, something that can display these things properly and really honour dad’s memory,” Chris said. “He was very proud to be a firefighter; he loved being chief there. A lot of his lessons are still used today. Recently, on a call, one of the firefighters was working and he turned and said, ‘Mike taught me that’. So, his presence remains and always will.”
