Nova Scotia Harness Racing Industry Association Executive Director Robyn Crowe has informed Trot Insider that Meridian Farms is going to donate the winning bid of one of their yearlings selling at this year’s Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Select Standardbred Yearling Sale, to the Bible Hill Fire Brigade.

The Bible Hill Fire Brigade is a volunteer emergency service that provides protection to the Village of Bible Hill, which is the home of Truro Raceway. The 30 volunteers also work closely with neighbouring departments to provide mutual aid assistance to them when there is a large incident in their area. Bible Hill has developed a well-trained Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) that specializes in firefighter rescue. This resource is offered to their mutual aid partners in Central Colchester.

Many may have read the headlines about the fire at the Dalhousie Agriculture Campus that occurred this summer. Due to the great efforts of the Bible Hill Fire Brigade, the damage was contained and no livestock or staff was injured.

The Fire Brigade will have a strong presence at the NSPE Select Sale, as they are asking all of their members to come out to show their support for harness racing, and appreciation for this generous initiative.

“We are thrilled to be selected by Meridian Farms as a designated recipient of this very generous initiative. All funds from this initiative will be put towards purchasing the breathing apparatus upgrades for our firefighters,” said Fire Chief Dwane Mellish.

“The cost of purchasing specialized firefighting equipment, much of it manufactured in the United States, has jumped dramatically in the last year (25 to 30 per cent) with the falling Canadian dollar.”

The sudden jump in the cost of items has meant the Brigade has had to scale back its anticipated purchases in this fiscal year. The Brigade is in Year 2 of a three-year project to upgrade its breathing apparatus to ‘Scott Air 4.5.’ These units will allow firefighters up to 45 minutes of breathing time versus 25 minutes with the older type. This is a major improvement for firefighter safety. These units are nearly $8,000 apiece.

Meridian Farms has been a huge supporter of harness racing and helping to make its future brighter. This is another great initiative that connects the communities with harness racing in positive ways. Keep an eye out for an upcoming announcement of the selected yearling!