On November 18th, the Municipality of Centre Hastings proudly held a retirement presentation for longtime volunteer firefighter Mike Kerby, honouring his extraordinary 47 years of service to the Centre Hastings Fire Department. Surrounded by fellow firefighters, family, friends, and community members, Mike reflected on a lifetime of dedication, community spirit, and the unexpected path that led him into the fire service.

From an early age, the dream had been to become a police officer. In 1977, that dream seemed within reach when he was accepted to Algonquin College. Every Friday, he hitchhiked home to Ivanhoe, where a stop at his Uncle Jack Stephens’ garage was a weekly ritual—catching up on local news and community stories.

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But in the spring of 1978, everything chan

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