The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 4, 2006 - 5 F ir e fig h tin g h is to r y By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Oakville Fire Department has always been a forward-thinking organ ization -- especially in training and technology -- but on Wednesday it took time out to celebrate its past. The occasion was the official unveiling of Oakville artist Robert Boast-Cornish's limited edition repro duction Then and Now at the depart m ent's South Service Road Training Campus. The watercolour depicts the evolu tion of Oakville's fire trucks and in so doing, illustrates how far firefighting has evolved. "Sometimes we forget our past and how we fought fires," said Oakville Fire Chief Richard Boyes. With the six-storey campus training tower in the background, the painting features Oakville's old 1948 American LaFrance Pumper #8 and a 2005 stateof-the-art Smeal 105-foot rear mount aerial platform truck. Also pictured are firefighters going about their difficult, and often dangerous, duties. "The Oakville Fire Department is honoured to be unveiling this one-ofa-kind painting to the public," said Boyes. Local amateur photographer Scott Snowball composed and photographed the scene then partnered with BoastCornish to turn his concept into a painting. "Scott's vision and Robert's talent have captured the history of our fire trucks while paying tribute to our past and present firefighters," said Boyes. "This painting will surely become a lasting legacy for our Town." Snowball, who was raised in Oakville, has had a passion for fire trucks all his life and wanted to share it with the people of his community. "I wanted to give something to the Oakville Fire Department that would remind them and the public of past and present firefighters," he said. Boast-Cornish -- who has studied fine arts and graphic design in Canada and England and has lived and painted in Oakville for over 25 years -- was immediately taken with the project. "I felt excitement as I started paint ing the 1948 American LaFrance as it had so much rich history behind it," he said. "Many times while painting this scene, I would step back and look at the colours and images that were com ing to life in front of me and I'd think to myself `Wow, this is maybe one of my best works.'" Boast-Cornish has already pro duced a painting of the LaFrance, pic tured with a Dalmatian and the Navy Street fire station in the background. Mayor Ann Mulvale said the new print underscores not only the impor tance of honouring the past but also of the need to build on the past. "It reminds us of where we've been and where we are," she added.- ^ One key feature of the painting is the LaFrance, purchased by the Oakville Fire Brigade in 1948! The vehicle's first major fire was at the Kendall Leather Company on Aug. 14 of that same year and it ended serv ice when it threw a piston through the engine block during the Feb. 12,1980 blaze at Ren's Feed and Supply. It was retired from active duty then restored in 1983/84 by the Oakville Professional Fire Fighters Association. Today it makes appearances at com munity events throughout Oakville. "It has a long and glorious history," said Boyes, adding that he'll do his best to see that the print hangs in the Ontario Fire College. Firefighters can request a limited number print that matches their fire fighter number and are available for purchase through Boast-Cornish's Web site at www.geocities.com/robertboast/home. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER THEN AND NOW: Then and Now.print artist Robert'Boast-Cornish and photographer Scott Snowball at the unveiling of a print called Then and Now that celebrates Oakville's proud firefighting history. 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