M.D. fire service prepping for Candy Cane Food Drive

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Vauxhall Advance

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Municipal District of Taber Regional Fire Service’s 2023 Christmas Parade and Food Drive will be held on December 18 beginning at 6 P.M.

“We usually decorate our fire engines and travel though the community,” said Nathan Coté, M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Chief. “It is our way of getting around to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We also collect non-perishable items for the food banks in Vauxhall and Taber. We do this in the communities of Hays, Grassy Lake, Enchant, Vauxhall and Barnwell. We will be starting to knock on doors at approximately 6 P.M. on December 18. We hope to see everyone.”

Coté says that the members of the M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Service go out each year in December and go door to door spreading Christmas cheer and handing out candy canes.  

“This is the MDTRFS way of wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season,” said Coté. “The community members do not have to do anything, we will come around door-to-door handing out candy canes and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. We will also ask for a donation of a non-perishable food item to go to the food banks. There is no obligation to donate we just want to spread some holiday cheer.”  

The M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Service also organizes the parade each year, Coté says, and their fire apparatus will be decorated for when they go door-to-door.   

“The parade began as a way to say Merry Christmas to the citizens of the communities we serve,” said Coté. “We also thought it was a good way we could help the food banks out by collecting some non-perishable items for them. We like to think the folks in our communities appreciate it. We always seem to have a warm welcome as we go around. The amount of food collected over the years has increased as well. I believe this shows the citizens appreciate what we are doing.”

Coté says that the citizens of the M.D.’s communities support the Fire Service so much throughout the year that they just want to go out and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season.  

“If we can share a candy cane and a smile it is worth it to us,” said Coté. “The kids throughout the communities love it, and the donations we receive for the food banks are incredible and go a long way. We are blessed for the support and great people who reside in the MD of Taber and in all of our communities. Thank you to everyone.”