A Grand Valley firefighter received a special tribute at a retirement party on Sunday held in honour of his 45 years of service to the fire department and the community.
Paul Agar, who retired from the Grand Valley District Fire Department in April, was presented with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his lengthy record of community service.
The medal was presented to Agar during the retirement party, held at the Grand Valley and District Fire Hall on Sept. 30.
He was presented with the medal by former Grand Valley fire chief Andy Macintosh, who nominated Agar for the honour.
Agar became a firefighter after moving to Grand Valley in 1967.
“I thought it was a good way to get to know people and to help out,” said Agar, who has also served as a captain and deputy chief for the department and as acting chief on three occasions.
During his years of service, Agar says that increased training requirements and improvements in equipment are the biggest changes he’s observed.
He cites the building of a new fire hall in Grand Valley in 1997 as one of the highlights of his time with the department.
“It was quite an upgrade,” he recalls.
Agar also retired in April from his position as a tool and die maker at GSW in Fergus.
Although retired as a firefighter, Agar plans to stay active with the department, cutting the grass at the fire hall and assisting as a dispatcher.
