Co-op Community Champion: Brent Morgan

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — December’s Co-op Community Champion has been a local firefighter for more than 25 years, and works hard to help people in need both in Fort St. John and across northwestern Canada.

Brent Morgan is the President of the Fort St. John Firefighters’ Charitable Society and the Northern Director of the BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund.

The charitable society supports families and people in need all over the community. Morgan says one of their recent initiatives was the society’s annual “Christmas drop,” helping a number of local families get through the holidays.

“We select five families that are going throuhg a hard time, for whatever reason, and, you know, if they need a tree, decorations, Christmas dinner, we provide that, and then presents for the kids,” Morgan explains.

“I believe this was our fifth year? It’s just something that we wanted to do, and we just saw a need at Christmas time, where some families, for whatever reason, are just going through a hard time.”

Morgan says he’s always wanted to be a firefighter, citing his grandfather, who worked as a firefighter in Vancouver when he was a child, as an inspiration.

“I’ll always remember a couple of times, going to his fire hall when i was a young kid, and it’s just something that resonated with me and stuck with me growing up.”

Another initiative Morgan helps out with is “Burn Camp,” through his position with the Burn Fund.

“When any kid between the ages of 6 and 18 has been burnt, they go to a camp in Squamish Valley for the third week of July, and it’s basically an all-expenses paid camp for them,” Morgan explains.

“It just shows them that they’re not alone in these recovering times, and growing up with these scars, and they make lifelong friends through this.”

Morgan also works as an Assistant Coach for the Fort St. John Huskies. He says he originally moved to the city to play for the Huskies when he was younger, and later expressed interest in coaching.

“[Head Coach Todd Alexander] told me to come out in September, and I did, and it just felt natural to still be at the rink coaching and helping out wherever I can.”

Congratulations to Brent Morgan for being named December’s Co-op Community Champion. Anyone looking to nominate a community-minded person who deserves recognition can go to Energeticcity.ca.