Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation is celebrating its firefighting team after they graduated on June 11, 2026, and were recognized for winning a national championship last fall in Calgary, Alberta. Chief Trevor Prince and Council extended congratulations, acknowledging the firefighters’ dedication and the pride they brought to the community.
The six-member team, led by Fire Chief Josh Roulette, captured the overall title at the 36th annual National Firefighting Competition on October 25, 2025. They also placed first in the water pack relay event, competing against teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut and the Atlantic region.
Roulette, who has been chief since 2011, was joined by Joey Prince, Noah Mousseau, Mark Martin Jr., Wade Malcolm and Victor Beaulieu Jr. To reach the nationals, they first had to beat the defending champions from Cross Lake First Nation at the provincial championships. Cross Lake had been Canada’s top firefighting competition team for several years.
“Their hard work, determination and teamwork have carried them to the very top, showing that when we stand together as a Nation, we can achieve great things,” Chief Trevor Prince said in an interview with Windspeaker.com. “This victory belongs not only to the firefighters but to our entire community. They represent the strength, unity, and spirit of Sandy Bay—protecting our people, our homes and our future.”
Sandy Bay’s fire department serves just under 5,000 on-reserve members on the western shore of Lake Manitoba. Despite being a rural department, it stays busy, averaging a call every two-and-a-half days for fires, medical assists and search and rescue.
