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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 15, 2015 | 20 Carpet Cleaning Specialists Since 1952 On The Spot! Residential & commeRcial Wall to Wall FURnitURe & UPHolsteRY aRea RUGs PeRsian & oRiental TOWARF (Town of Oakville Water Air Rescue Force) is the Oakville branch of the Canadian Coast Guard auxiliary operating a 27-ft., custom-built Stanley rescue boat, centre, out of Oakville Harbour. Above right, Crew 3 members hold their Crew of the Year trophy at the bow of their craft. From left: Dave Suttaby, Justine Olmstead, Captain John Grant, Ian Casey and John Bridge. Above left, Suttaby, left, and Bridge get set to head out on Lake Ontario. | photos by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Truck Mount In-Plant Service Water damage Restoration See the transformation of what we can do in relation to others! All-hands-on-deck with TOWARF's Crew 3 continued from p.1 An in-house committee selects a winner based on attendance, training and schedules and a `round of achievements' during boating season, says John Bridge. "I was a bit surprised when we got it, but it comes as no surprise because we have such a good crew," said Bridge. "It's good to get the recognition for the time and effort that we, as a crew, put in. It's good to have that one-upmanship, just to have bragging rights for the coming year." Crew 3 is comprised of Bridge, Captain John Grant, Acting Captain Steve Marcellus, and advanced crew Ian Casey, Dave Suttaby and Justine Olmstead. Matt Tomas and Sarah Abigail were part of the team in 2014, but have since moved to Crew 4 and the United States, respectively. Bridge attributes the award to Grant, "a fantastic skipper," and the crew, he said, which helped with recruiting, attended local events and gave back to the community. "It's huge in my book. It's nice to be able to give something back to the town that has been so good to me," said Bridge, noting many crews members call Oakville home. Grant, who joined TOWARF in 1989, said the level of professionalism and training in the unit has increased exponentially over time. "This award means that these guys have gone over-the-top with training. These are very professional crews now. It means quite a bit because we train all winter," said Grant. Commander Rick Bee said he wanted to the trophy to have a connection with the area, so in its production, water from Lake Ontario was used in the glass-blowing process. "We wanted something that the crew could take home and make their own for a year, share amongst themselves. I asked them to take it with them when they do silly stuff, a la the Stanley Cup," said Bee. "Through word-of-mouth and Instagram, it gets our name out in the community." TOWARF's nine crews took 28 calls in 2014, which is typical for the auxiliary unit, as it averages 22 to 35 a year. The majority of calls result from mechanical problems (90 per cent), as towing is the No. 1 reason assistance is needed. "We have one of the highest numbers of any auxiliary unit, pretty much anywhere, other than the West Coast. We do a fairly high volume of calls," said Grant. The crews were involved in two major search operations for missing boats last year -- in Port Credit and St. Catharines. TOWARF volunteers are authorized to provide free Transport Canada Pleasure Craft Courtesy Checks (PCCC). "Members of TOWARF will go out and inspect boats, make sure safety equipment is up to scratch. If their boat is as good as it should be, they will get a sticker recognized by Transport Canada," said Bridge. Casey pointed out, however, that TOWARF is not enforcement, which is a mistake people often make. see TOWARF on p.21 VOTED BEST CARPET & RUG CLEANERS 15 YEARS IN A ROW! drop-off discount! 25% DIAMOND FREE 250 mL SPOTTING BOTTLE www.onthespotcleaning.ca Bronte 905-825-4256 1446 WaLLacE Rd. OakvILLE, ON QEW Speers Wallace Royal tReatment pet gRooming Royal Treatment Welcomes Rachel of Bark+Fitz and Sharon of Kustom K-9 to our professional Groom team. New lower rates for our Groom your own facility. Unique boutique. Walk in nail clipping always only $10. Call today to book your favourite groomer. Offer expires June 12th, 2015. Must bring in this DIAMOND www.royaltreatmentpetgrooming.ca 1380 Speers Rd. Unit 4, Oakville 905-847-7297