My destination last weekend was Thunder Bay. The same destination of my great grandparents when they left the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to start a new life in the Great White North. I attended a memorial service for my Dad's first cousin and 29-year fire department veteran David Drainville.
I remember David as a child as being larger than life, my old man is 6'3 200lb and he looked like a twig standing next to David. He was a true outdoors man and you could find him pickerel fishing in Ontario or hunting wild boar at night in the Australian Outback. I remember him letting me sit in the driver seat of his fire engines and sliding down the pole. He was a family man that raised three boys in the house he built himself on the shore of Lake Superior.
The last years of his life he was able travel all across Canada and the United States. On a trip just a few short months ago he was crossing the border and was unable to answer the standard questions. The border guard was suspicious and the paramedics were called. Within hours he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 57. The illness was considered a result of his career fighting fires. He was able to make peace with the world and accept his situation. He spent the rest of his life being cared for by a loving family. Let his story tell us to make the most out of everyday and connect with the people who matter most.
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