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The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre Foundation
CHARLIE BLICKSTEAD
fed lions and fought fires on his way to turning 100
By Brant Scott
Our staff and volunteers strive to make each day special for our residents
– here is one of their untold stories.
Charlie Blickstead has seen a lot
of fire in his day, and there’s some
fire in his eye even now. Looking
hard on his 101st birthday this summer,
Charlie moved from a retirement
home to the Perley and
Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre just
over a year ago.
He spent three years with the
Royal Canadian Navy during World
War II teaching sailors how to safeguard
their ships from the ravages
of fire. It’s impossible to
tell how many souls
Charlie saved during the
war, or as a career firefighter
with the Montreal
Fire Department (MFD)
for 37 years. He was one
of four MFD division fire
chiefs before he became
one of the first fire safety
consultants in Canada.
Born July 25, 1907,
Charlie quit school in
Montreal at 15 to hitchhike
to New York City
seeking fame and fortune.
He worked as an
ambulance driver,
embalmer’s assistant and
cab driver in the Big
Apple before hopping in
a 1921 Dodge and heading
for California on a
whim.
“A friend and I got as
far as Oklahoma City before the car
was smashed up and we joined the
Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey Circus to pay the bills,”
recalls Charlie. “I had to set up and
tear down the tents for the circus
freak shows and I fed the lions,
which were a long way from tame,
believe me.”
He joined the United States
Merchant Marine and saw lots of
Europe, but his home port of
Montreal beckoned once again
from afar. An offer came that would
change his life once and for all –
Charlie Blickstead would be a firefighter.
Charlie had married Loretta
Garinther in 1929 in Montreal and
they would stay together for most of
their adult lives. He joined
the Montreal Fire
Department before Hitler
plunged the world headlong
into war. Charlie had
acquired an affinity for
putting out fires and he
developed a knack for
teaching others how to
avoid starting them by
accident. Charlie took to
the salt water again, this
time with the Royal
Canadian Navy. His crucial
mandate was to teach
young sailors how to stay
safe and fight fires on
board.
After 37 years with
the Montreal Fire
Department and achieving
the rank of division chief,
Charlie had to admit he
was slowing down. He
opened one of the first
fire safety consultancies in the
country and became the expert
consultant to 62 Canadian paper
mills, where a single spark could
create untold havoc through lost
time, money and men.
Just last year, Charlie attended a
special ceremony to commemorate
June 2008 • 35 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
Charlie Blickstead
fallen firefighters on Parliament
Hill. Despite cold and wet weather,
Charlie refused to be taken indoors
away from the ceremony.
“I did everything I wanted to do
in life,” he says. “If I didn’t want to
do it, I didn’t do it. I was never
interested in living a long life. It’s
not something I planned. I’m
happy here in (the Perley Rideau).
I’m a war vet. I like it here because
everything is taken care of and I
don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Charlie Blickstead may be yesterday’s
man of action, but his selfless
contribution to the safety of
others remains timeless.
The Perley Rideau is home to 450
residents, 250 of whom are war
veterans. We appreciate your support
by making a bequest in your will or
making a donation.
Please contact Paul S. Finn
The Perley and Rideau
Veterans’ Health Centre Foundation
1750 Russell Road
Ottawa ON K1G 5Z6
Email: foundation@prvhc.com
Internet: www.prvhc.com
613-526-7194