Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a very brave man. On July 16, 1999 Whitby resident Mark McKinnon, a 17 year veteran of the Toronto Fire Department, gave us all a glowing example of the dedication and commitment with which our firefighters carry out their duties.
At 7.30 a.m. there was a serious explosion in the high voltage switching room of a downtown Toronto Bell Canada building. On the fourth floor in a room filled with heavy smoke, six inches of water covering the floor and 13,000 volts of electricity, firefighter McKinnon discovered a male victim suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, blindness and shock. Picking him up, Mark carried him down the stairs to safety.
As a result of these heroic efforts, Mark McKinnon and his crew recently received the highest honour from the Toronto Fire Department. Mark has also been awarded the Ontario Firefighting Medal of Bravery.
Public service is in Mark's blood. Not only is he a decorated firefighter, he is also Whitby's west ward councillor. He finds time to coach hockey teams and to work tirelessly—