Some heroes don’t wear capes – they wear firefighting gear and a lifetime of dedication.
Wayne Shields, a 73-year-old fire captain and pillar of the Lansdowne community, was recently awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for Outstanding Community Service, recognizing his remarkable 55 years of commitment to the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Fire Department and the Lansdowne Agricultural Society.
“It was very surprising,” said Shields. “I realize I’ve spent lots of time in the community, helping with this and that, but I wasn’t looking for praise or anything like that in return. I enjoy watching the area improve.”
The ceremony, held in Ottawa on Saturday, Jan. 18, was attended by Shields’ wife, Joanne, and family, alongside Fire Chief Mike Prior, former fire chief Bill Grier, TLTI Councillor and Deputy Mayor Terry Fodey, and MP Michael Barrett, who presented Coronation Medals to shields and many other local residents.
The whispers in the room when his five-and-a-half decades of service were announced reflected the awe at Shields’ accomplishment.
“The days of someone being in an organization for 30 years is pretty well unheard of anymore,” Shields laughed. “At the ceremony, a lot of the people receiving awards had maybe 25 to 30 years, then all of a sudden they announce 55 years and you hear the whispers going on.”
Prior commended Shields for his extraordinary service, emphasizing how rare such dedication is in today’s fire service.
“We lose most firefighters within three to five years these days,” said the chief. “But Wayne has dedicated 55 years of his life to this department and this community. That’s not something you see anymore.”
Shields joined the fire department at 18, inspired by his father, who helped establish the department and served on the Fair Board—a family tradition spanning more than a century. Over the years, he’s seen both the fire service and the Lansdowne Fair grow and evolve.
“You take a look at the changes in the fire service, even in the last 50 years, let alone 55, and the same thing with the Lansdowne Agricultural Society, the way our fair has grown. It’s become known in quite a large circle now,” he said.
Fodey also praised Shields for his impact on the community, both as a firefighter and through his leadership with the Lansdowne Agricultural Society.
“Wayne’s efforts have shaped this community in countless ways,” said Fodey. “From protecting it to helping it thrive, his work has left a legacy we can all be proud of.”
Shields attributes his ability to serve for so long to the support of his family.
“My family made this work for me, with the support from my wife and children,” said Shields. “They’re the ones that suffer. Whenever there was a fire call, training to do, a fair, anything, I was always leaving those people. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do those things.”
Still active in training firefighters and officers, Shields says he’ll step aside only when he becomes a liability – a moment Fire Chief Prior assures him hasn’t arrived.
“As long as you do the best you can do, that’s what matters,” Shields said. “One of my favourite sayings is, ‘How can we improve?’ Once we figure that out, let’s move on to the next thing.”
For Shields, his motivation has always been simple: a love for his community.
“I’ve had opportunities to live in all sorts of places, but I never wanted to leave,” said Shields. “I just wanted to stay and help.”