Kennedy fire chief vying for spot in Sask Firefighters calendar
April 7, 2025, 12:21 pm
Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Collin Lemieux is accustomed to entering situations with unknown factors. As fire chief for the Kennedy and District Volunteer Fire Department, encountering challenges is just part of being a firefighter. Now he’s taking on a project that will definitely see him in unfamiliar territory—being one of the 16 possible candidates for the 2026 edition of the Saskatchewan Firefighters Calendar.
“One of the members of the Kipling Fire Department had done it last year,” Lemieux said when asked what motivated him to join. “I go to the same gym that Mak (Makyla Stender, who is featured in the 2025 calendar) does. I had seen her training and followed along as she was doing it. Then she just said to me, point blank, ‘this is something you should do.’ It is a fundraiser for a children’s hospital, so when we look at it objectively, why wouldn’t I want to try and raise some money for them?”
The Saskatchewan Firefighters Calendar has been working with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation for the past eight years with all proceeds from sales going to that group. So far, there have been 22 editions of the calendar, featuring 264 firefighters from 58 communities in Saskatchewan with $975,507 being raised and donated.
“I’ve seen the work they do, so it made sense to try and give back,” Lemieux said, adding that he’s seen friends’ children benefit from the hospital in Saskatoon.
Money raised from the calendar fundraiser goes to the general fund at JPCH, allowing donations to make a wider impact to meet the needs of the hospital.
In order to make the cut and be featured in the calendar, Lemieux is looking for online votes of support, which can be made at saskfirefighterscalendar.com.
The biggest hurdle will be coming up on April 12 in Regina as the calendar holds its popular Selection Night where the 16 firefighters interact with a live audience at the Conexus Arts Centre to decide on the final 12.
“I’m kind of shy on that end,” Lemieux admitted of spreading word around about the online voting portion. “My wife took that by the reins and has been spreading the word. The last couple days it’s picked up quite a bit.”
Votes cast online and in person at Selection Night will be tallied with the top 12 going into the 2026 calendar.
Lemieux grew up at Kenosee Lake and was on the fire department there before moving to Kennedy in 2008 and joining the local department. For the past year, he’s also served as Kennedy’s fire chief.
“It is a really good group, just a lot of really good guys and hard working,” he said of the Kennedy firefighters. “When we get to a fire, everyone just jumps in and it makes life a lot easier when you work with people like that.”
