Siren Call

Salt Spring Island needed a fire siren which could be had only from the U.S. Dutifully, Volunteer Fire Chief Arthur Elliott filled out U.S. priority forms sent from Ottawa. Just as dutifully, he answered a long series of requests for additional information. Finally he had had enough international red tape. In a letter to Ottawa, Chief Elliott exploded with lyric wrath:

"Salt Spring. Island . . . rests like a gem of beauty in the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of seventy miles . . . two well-equipped beer halls ... a population of 1,800 people, all Godfearing, self-respecting souls [who] pay their taxes promptly. . . . [Its] lambs graze on the carpets of wild violets with which the grazing areas abound, giving a distinctive and delicate flavor to the meat.

"The need of adequate fire protection is urgent. . . . The method of alarm at present is totally inadequate. It consists of an old motor horn of the press-bulb type, implemented vocally by the fire chief. . ..

We need the siren asked for ... so either pass this request or refuse it and let us know, but for God's sake don't go on writing any more damn fool letters, wasting time, paper and the taxpayers' money in idiotic requests for information which cannot have any practical bearing on the application."

Salt Spring Island got its siren.

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