Former Langford deputy fire chief Phil Goldie died of cancer on April 25, but his legacy at his old fire hall is still being felt.
“Phil was one of the early leaders in the organization, and his legacy continues today,” said Langford fire chief Chris Aubrey.
Aubrey never worked alongside Goldie but he can recall the humourous stories that were shared.
“I was fortunate to meet Philip on many occasions at our annual appreciation banquets and chat with him,” said Aubrey.
One lesson that can be directly linked to Goldie is the way that Aubrey carried out fire inspections and ensured that residents around Langford were educated about fire code violations.
“You’re working with people to encourage compliance rather than through force,” added Aubrey.
Aubrey said that when Goldie started at Langford Fire, it was part of the Highlands fire department. The station was a volunteer operation with only a handful of staff at the time.
“There were just three or four people that were the career staff,” continued Aubrey.
Langford Fire has seen a string of deaths over the last few years, with former assistant fire chief Lance Caven dying of cancer and Al LeQuesne, a retired fire chief who died in 2022.
“It’s been tough. Like I said, ‘the best thing we can do to honour their memories is to share stories and to keep their memories alive,’” Aubrey said.
The funeral for Goldie took place over the weekend of May 4 in West Kelowna.
“It was just an incredible legacy of 37 years of serving the residents of Langford,” Aubrey said.
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