A Helping Hand, courtesy of Labatt Breweries & Team Rubicon
With the arrival of Summer, an all too familiar foe has also made itself known; Wildfires. While, as of this Post, it may not be a record-breaking season, it’s still distressing to witness the devastation to both forests and peoples lives and property. While there are personal stories that are heartbreaking, there’s light amongst the soot and ash….it’s called human kindness.
As a commercial photographer at Olsen Imaging over the past 18 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous companies and individuals, covering a myriad of different types of photography, from aerial, architectural, event, lifestyle, underground mining and news/editorial assignments.
I recently was asked to cover a photoshoot for Labatt Breweries in Spences Bridge, BC, With support of Team Rubicon, thousand of cans of Labatt water was delivered to the Cook’s Ferry Indian Band in Spences Bridge, in the Fraser Canyon southwest of Kamloops, B,C. Nearby, the massive Shetland Creek Wildfire burns out of control, potentially putting the community at risk.
For those unaware, Team Rubicon Canada is a Veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Team Rubicon Canada has 21 full-time employees and over 3,300 volunteers across the country and harnesses the skills and experience of military veterans, first responders and skilled civilians to help communities prepare, respond and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises.
Team Rubicon Canada has served on over 100 missions. They’ve brought relief to fellow British Columbians facing wildfires, Ontarians threatened by tornados, Nova Scotians impacted by hurricanes and have deployed internationally, as well. They were the muscles behind delivering the water to the First Nations Band in Spences Bridge on August 7th, 2024.
Cook’s Ferry Indian Band Chief Whistemnitsa Community Centre
While bad news makes the headlines, I think it’s more important than ever these days to highlight the “good”, people are doing in this world.
Team Rubicon took time away from actioning the wildfire in Venables Valley to make the trip to Spences Bridge to unload a semi-trailer of palates of Labatt water. Many thanks to a great team individuals, working towards a common cause of helping others in times of need.
