ESTEVAN - The 2026 edition of the Saskatchewan Firefighters' Calendar will have a distinct Estevan flavour.
Two members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service – Tanner Weger-Brandow and Brandon Schopp – were selected for the popular provincial fundraiser during a selection night at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina on April 12. The two friends work at Westmoreland Mining LLC's Estevan mines, have both been part of the mine rescue team and joined the Estevan fire department at approximately the same time.
Weger-Brandow applied first and asked Schopp to also try out so Weger-Brandow would have someone on stage with him. Schopp agreed to support his pal.
Weger-Brandow said he wanted to be part of the calendar because proceeds go to the children's hospital. He also exercises regularly and has lost a lot of weight over the years, so it's a chance to show his physique.
To simply reach the selection night, they had to go through a lot of training and dieting. They also needed to collect a lot of support from family and friends through online vote purchasing, with proceeds going to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation.
The selection night was an interesting experience, Weger-Brandow said. It was more challenging than he expected because there were more people than anticipated.
"It was quite the crowd, to be sure. They really like firefighters," said Weger-Brandow in an interview with Â鶹ÊÓƵ. "It was a fun time. We had a great time. A lot of the firefighters from around the province were really awesome to meet."
He's not one who is comfortable in front of a crowd, so the selection night was "very intimidating". But he made it through the event and was successful in his bid.
Weger-Brandow said he was really happy to be selected. He believes his hard work paid off and looks forward to further supporting the foundation.
A date for his photo shoot has yet to be decided. But it means he has to remain in shape for a little longer.
"I'm going to be dieting a lot more. I'd like to get a lot leaner for the calendar, try to trim some body fat, and try to maintain my muscle mass."
Friends and family have been quick to congratulate him, and he said they are looking forward to purchasing the calendar.
"The support from the fire hall was a lot. They were very good and very supportive. I wouldn't be able to do it without them."
It was also nice to have another Estevan firefighter in the calendar, and Weger-Brandow was excited when Schopp's name was called.
They don't know how many votes they sold or how much money they raised for the hospital foundation; Weger-Brandow said it would be nice to find out. They were just told who would be in the calendar.
"I do know quite a few people had told me they voted for me, so I would imagine it's a fair amount," he said.
Schopp said he also wanted to be involved because it's for a good cause. He has never done anything like the selection night before.
Making it to selection night wasn't easy. He had to submit a photo of himself, sell votes and exercise to get himself into good shape.
"When you go up there on stage, you want to look really good," said Schopp.
Those who attended the selection night also voted for the firefighter of their choice throughout the event.
The night also included a video biography of each hopeful calendar model. They mingled with the audience members, and the finalists had to participate in challenges on stage. He described his video as humourous, and he did what he could to get the crowd excited.
"You're trying to sell yourself to the audience in a way," Schopp said.
During the challenge, two audience members joined Schopp on stage. The MCs gave one of the audience members a cucumber, which was held with their knees, and they had to use their knees to pass the cucumber back and forth.
"Everybody out there had a different challenge. Some people had to do push-ups with an audience member on their back, and some people had to demonstrate firefighter carries. All their different challenges were based around teamwork and stuff like that."
Schopp will also have to remain in shape, because it will be a few months before the photo shoot. He's grateful for everyone who supported him and the children's hospital foundation, and glad he went through a process that started with supporting his friend.
