The Rural Municipality of Hanover said farewell this week to 59 years of firefighting experience.

John Schroeder and Tim Bartel were honoured at a special ceremony in Hanover Council chambers. Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says the two men actually retired some time ago, but COVID-19 restrictions kept delaying their attempts to recognize them properly, until now.

Schroeder joined the fire department in April of 1989 and officially retired in May of 2021. He served 32 years. Wiebe credits Schroeder for starting their first EMR program and running it very successfully. Wiebe says he also helped with the purchase and renovation of the fire hall in Kleefeld. Schroeder also played a big role in acquiring the department's first compressor for filling air bottles. And, he was heavily involved in purchasing the municipality's first set of Jaws of Life. At one point, Schroeder served as the Chief in Kleefeld and he is also the former District Chief for Hanover.

"I feel it's long, steady leadership that he's provided us with," adds Wiebe.

As for Bartel, he joined the fire department in June of 1993 and retired in 2020, serving 27 years. Wiebe says Bartel was a Deputy Chief for Kleefeld and later became Captain with Hanover Fire Department.

"Tim was also very important to the growth of Hanover Fire in the training end," notes Wiebe. "He's responsible for starting a great training program that we are still building on today."

Wiebe says it means a lot to him to have these two men give so much of their time. He notes the only way fire departments can survive is through community spirit.

"When they signed up I'm sure they didn't know what they were in for, but you are putting in weekly training nights, you are training in addition to that," he notes. "Weekends, answering calls on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly basis and it can get quite busy at certain times of the year and it's never at a right time."

Wiebe says it was also family time that these two men gave up.

Meanwhile, Hanover Reeve Stan Toews has also expressed his gratitude. Toews says this sort of commitment is fantastic to see.