/ R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - OPSEU President visits Sudbury for firefighter sendoff/

SUDBURY, ON, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - The president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union will be in Sudbury Friday to give Ontario firefighters a grateful sendoff as they head to northern Alberta to fight the forest fires burning there.

Warren (Smokey) Thomas will be available to reporters after meeting with the firefighters, all of whom are OPSEU members working in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

	Date:	Friday, May 6, 2016
	Time:	11:30 a.m.
	Place:	Sudbury Forest Fire Management Centre
		6150 Skyline Drive, Sudbury

"There aren't enough words to describe how proud I am of the work these members do," Thomas said Thursday. "I just want to shake their hands and say 'thank you' on behalf of all 130,000 OPSEU members. This is public service at its finest."

About 100 Ontario firefighters are expected to be on the ground in Alberta within days.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Warren (Smokey) Thomas 613-329-1931