“He was an incredible firefighter,” said Robert Weeks, President of the Vancouver Fire Fighters' Union local 18, and colleague of Captain Steve Letourneau.
“He meant so much to this department, he was an exceptional firefighter and an exceptional officer. He really led from the front and brought the best out of his crew, a real teammate.”
Letourneau died in June of 2020 due to work-related cancer but with pandemic restrictions, there could be no memorial service and send-off for the respected captain.
“This was a tough service for us.” Weeks added: "He started in 1983 with our service and spent 37 years on our job, he was actually the most long-tenured member of our service when he passed."
Firefighters marched in uniform with Letourneau’s casket held in the back of a vintage firetruck from Vancouver Fire Hall No. 7 to St. Andrew's Wesley United Church.
Over 1,500 people came to pay respects and honour Letourneau to provide a proper send-off for the family.
“You can see by the turnout he was a well-respected member of our family. And of course, his own family got to experience that with us today,” stated Weeks.
Firefighters risk their health to protect communities daily and other than the obvious workplace hazards of fire, cancer is an occupational disease. “Unfortunately, firefighters are three times as likely than the general public to get cancer,” stated Weeks. Letourneau was diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
“I never thought it would be me, but it is me who has cancer. I really have no regrets. I’ve been dealt a bad hand. But in general, it’s been a great, great ride," Letourneau said in 2019.
“He battled that cancer for five years, often told many times that this would be the end, and he kept persevering,” added Weeks.
During his fight, Letourneau was visited by his colleagues and friends from the fire department.
“Because of the length of that struggle, a lot of us got to spend more time with Steve than we otherwise would have.”
Weeks also touched on what can be done to help prevent workplace diseases like the cancer that ultimately claimed Letourneau's life. “We need to be diligent about prevention. We need to be diligent about research. And we need to engage best practices to make sure that we do our best, knowing that the environments we go in are incredibly toxic," said Weeks.
The memorial finished with the final send-off, formal dressed firefighters lined either side of Burrard St. to give a final salute to the captain while he and the family were escorted underneath the flag.
“This was an incredible moment for this family to reflect upon Steve and pay our respects.”
