THUNDER BAY -- A pair of Thunderwolves hockey players took a break from the ice to teach some students about fire safety.
On Tuesday, Lakehead University defenseman Jay Gilbert and Mike Quesnele joined Thunder Bay Fire Rescue and Tbaytel at St. James Public School to give lessons to Grade 4 students on smoke alarms and home escape fire plans.
This was Gilbert’s second time participating in the program and he said sometimes children get the message more when hearing it from a different public figure they look up to, not just a teacher.
“Even though we’re not that big of a deal but to these kids it sometimes means the world to just be able to meet a hockey player,” he said.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue public education officer Anthony Stokaluk said have the message delivered in another medium is key.
“It’s coming from hockey players rather than just another fireman telling them about fire safety,” he said, adding the Thunderwolves are quite popular with kids in the Grade 4 age demographic.
“For them to hear that message from them, it’s huge for us.”
Aiming the program at children is also an effective way of getting the message to adults, said Stokaluk.
“I could talk to a room of adults until I’m blue in the face, but they are going to do what their children ask them to do a lot quicker than what I’m going to ask them to do,” he said.
After the presentation, the students were given Thunderwolves fire safety hockey cards.
