Ellis hangs up the firehose
Intelligencer.ca
March 28, 2017
Article by Jason Miller
Link to article: Ellis hangs up the firehose
Jason Miller/The Intelligencer Deputy Chief Ray Ellis gets a farewell hug from his best friend, Quinte West Fire Chief, John Whalen, during Ellis' retirement party on Tuesday.
BELLEVILLE - Ray Ellis stumbled on a firefighting career three decades ago, but the affable deputy chief’s contributions to the local department is no coincidence.
Ellis told council at a meeting on Monday he’s done putting out fires. Mayor Taso Christopher applauded Ellis for his service and the two mused on the early days working at a pizza shop together.
“His career as a Belleville firefighter began in 1987,” Christopher said. “I think that’s after we used to cook pizza together.”
“You have moved the fire department forward,” the mayor said. “Your personal advocacy for the Canadian Cancer Society is also to be commended. This year he’s the poster child nationally.”
Ellis was thrown a big going away party, Tuesday afternoon, at the headquarters. The festivities attended by dignitaries, like MP Neil Ellis and a legion of fire chiefs and deputies from departments across Eastern Ontario, saw Ellis being praised and on occasion roasted by his colleagues.
“We’re here to celebrate Ray and roast him a bit,” said Chief Mark MacDonald.
His best friend and Quinte West Fire Chief, John Whalen, shared fond memories of their boyhood days.
“We grew up together,” he said of Ellis.
“Easy on the stories,” Ellis said to the amusement of the gathering.
Whalen complied.
“You’re a great fighter, a great captain and as a deputy chief, you’re second to none,” Whalen said. “You were instrumental in building the new fire halls. Congratulations.”
Though his contributions are many, in more recent times, Ellis, the son of former city mayor and member of parliament, Jack Ellis, has been an integral part of a management team that spearheaded the building of three new fire halls over a handful of years.
“It’s kind of fitting to end my career at city hall, seeing as my father, as a mayor in the 1960s, brought me down here to a lot of special events,” Ellis said.
He marvels at advancements in firefighting technology.
“When I came on we rode on the back step of the trucks,” he said, about what made for a cold ride in the winter. “Now we ride in the cabin and the air pack is built into the seats and your ready to go when you get there.”
His career path has been an interesting one, moving from job to job before finding his calling with the department at age 27.
Sitting inside a room at the fire headquarters, Ellis reminisces on a career with its fair share of ups and downs.
“Over my career I’ve been on the back of an ambulance a few times injured,” he said. “I’ve seen things that no one should ever have to see. I wake up with nightmares from time to time.”
In spite of it all, Ellis looks back at his career with satisfaction.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It has been a big adrenalin rush.”
Aside from a pay cheque, Ellis has been rewarded by people returning to say thanks.
In his life away from the hall Ellis has become a poster child for cancer awareness, with his image used on Canadian Cancer Society brochures and pamphlets, raising funds and sharing stories about the damaging impact of the disease which robbed him of several colleagues over the years.
He has been a stalwart supporter of us for many years,” council was told by Karen White, volunteer president, Canadian Cancer Society. “He has been a poster boy for our daffodil program. I told him now that he’s retiring there is a new way to spell retirement, v-o-l-u-n-t-e-e-r.”
It’s a social cause Ellis, who has experienced a personal brush with cancer, will continue to support in between spending more time with his wife, Dianne, at their new home in Prince Edward County.
“Sadly, we lose people in fires, but more often than not, we lose guys 10 years after from cancer,” he said. “I lost a lot of my good friends. It’s still a very dangerous profession.”
In 2005 he rode a bike to Edmonton to raise funds and awareness about what it does to firefighters.
“I fight pretty hard to keep our guys safe,” said Ellis.
It’s March 28, Ellis’ last day on the job, and even though he’s acting like its just another day at the office, whispers around the hall say different. There has been some chatter within certain circles at the hall that the boys may pull a stunt or two to give him a proper send off.
Fire prevention officer Corey Davis is milling around outside Ellis’ office, speculating about how it will all go down.
“I think he’s going to head through the door right after,” Davis assumes of his supervisor’s last day on the job. They have worked together for 23 years, so farewell doesn’t come easy. “He’s a very good guy. It won’t be the same without him. He’s done a lot of big projects around here.”
A door away, deputy Chief Bruce Greatrix showers his retiring colleague with praise.
“Ray has been an excellent addition to the management team,” Greatrix said. “I will miss his wit and humour. It’s going to be hard for the city to find someone of a similar calibre.”