A retired St. Albert firefighter who spent three decades serving the city has been permanently honoured at the International Association of Fallen Fire Fighters memorial in Colorado Springs.
Local service now preserved in stone
Alex Forbes, who spent 30 years with the St. Albert Fire Department, had his name among 288 added during this year’s ceremony at the memorial, which preserves more than 10,000 names of firefighters who have died since 1918. The annual September service recognises Canadian and American firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Forbes, born and raised in Kilmarnock, Scotland, moved to Canada in the late 1960s and was hired by the St. Albert Fire Department in 1975. He retired in 2005 after a 30‑year career. In February 2025, at the age of 77, he died from occupational cancer.
Family remembers a hardworking, kind man
Following his retirement, Forbes went into business with his wife, Elizabeth, daughter Lorna and son‑in‑law Kory. The family operated a boarding kennel in St. Albert. His daughter, Lorna Forbes Udholm, spoke of his work ethic and his gentleness with family.
“His granddaughters have endless memories of him pulling them around in a tractor,” Udholm said. “He had a little yard tractor with a trailer on it, and I have pictures of every generation getting carted around in the back of that trailer.”
Udholm also recalled how Forbes refused to slow down after an accident that shattered his heel and left him in an air boot. Despite limited mobility, he continued to drive the tractor with his crutches stowed in the trailer and take his dogs for walks with extended leashes.
What the memorial means for St. Albert
The inclusion of Forbes’ name on the international wall carries weight for St. Albert. For residents, it is a public acknowledgment of a local career in service and a reminder of the risks associated with firefighting, including long‑term health effects.
- Recognition: Forbes’ name joins more than 10,000 firefighters honoured at the memorial since 1918.
- Local legacy: His decades of service with the St. Albert Fire Department and later family business tie him to multiple generations of the community.
- Occupational risks: His death from occupational cancer highlights ongoing concerns about long‑term health outcomes for firefighters.
Timeline
| Event | Year / Note |
|---|---|
| Born in Kilmarnock, Scotland | — |
| Moved to Canada | Late 1960s |
| Hired by St. Albert Fire Department | 1975 |
| Retired | 2005 |
| Died | February 2025 (occupational cancer) |
| Name added to memorial | September 19, 2026 |
For many in St. Albert, the ceremony in Colorado Springs is a solemn confirmation that a community member’s sacrifice and dedication will not be forgotten. The wall’s long roll of names — now more than a century of remembrance — links local histories to a broader cross‑border tradition of honouring emergency responders.
While the memorial and the ceremony provide a symbolic resting place for the names, Forbes’ family memories, the boarding kennel the family ran and the images of grandchildren in a trailer behind his tractor keep his presence alive in St. Albert neighbourhoods and yards.
The addition of his name also underlines a practical conversation for municipal services: the need to continue monitoring and supporting firefighter health, and to ensure families and retired personnel have access to information and care relating to occupational exposure and its long‑term effects.
For residents who knew Forbes, the inscription on the wall is both an honour and a reminder — a local story now part of a larger recognition of the risks first responders accept in service to their communities.
