Fifteen members of Lloydminster Fire Rescue swapped their local training tower for Calgary’s tallest skyscraper, raising nearly $19,000 for cancer support while conquering a gruelling physical challenge.
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The firefighters participated in the annual Calgary Stairclimb Challenge at Brookfield Place, climbing 57 stories — a total of 1,370 steps — all while wearing modified duty gear on June 14.
The Lloydminster team raised $18,885 for Wellspring Alberta, a Calgary-based charitable organization that provides resources and activities for families battling cancer.
“I think everybody on the department here has somebody who’s been affected with cancer,” said Capt. Curtis Johnson, who completed the climb for his fourth time.
This year’s event carried a deeply personal weight for the local crew.
“It especially hits home this year for us as members, as one of our retirees has been diagnosed with cancer,” Johnson said, noting that firefighters face increased occupational rates of the disease. “This was an extremely special event for us as we walked and climbed in his name to keep him strong during his battle.”
Participants tackled the individual, timed event in modified gear including coveralls, station boots, helmets and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air packs.
While Calgary-based firefighters have the luxury of training weekly at the Calgary Tower, the Lloydminster crew had to get creative to prepare for the massive elevation.
“Our members do training in our training tower as well, but it’s only a few flights up, so it’s kind of a constant up and down,” explained Assistant Fire Chief Justine Loewen. “I think we have to do about 27 rounds up and down in our training tower to amount to that.”
Loewen, who completed the climb for her second consecutive year, said the stifling environment inside the skyscraper’s stairwell makes the event as much a mental battle as a physical one.
“That stairwell is hot, you’re in your gear, it’s warm … it is a physically demanding and challenging thing to overcome,” Loewen said.
However, she noted that the struggle fostered a strong sense of camaraderie.
“It’s just being able to motivate them and remind them — as you’re passing people — just kind of giving them that motivation to keep going.”
Johnson agreed, describing the stairwell as a “grind” where firefighters push their bodies to the absolute limit, but noted it remains “awesome to walk alongside your brothers and sisters for one common goal.”
The event was entirely voluntary, with members participating on their own time. Both leaders expressed immense gratitude for the local financial backing that helped them achieve their fundraising total.
“I think it just speaks to our community and the support that we have, not just within our firefighter community, but just the city of Lloydminster and from our families as well,” Loewen said.
Johnson added that he is incredibly proud of the department’s culture of giving back, pointing to local involvement in other initiatives like the Terry Fox Run.
“The fire department, we’re here for the community. We’ve supported it in so many ways and we’ll continue to do that in the future.”
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