A 14-year-old boy, his twin brother, and their mom enjoyed a private cruise around the Collingwood shoreline this afternoon with an epic sendoff.
Aboard the Huronic, the Montreal family followed the Coast Guard, OPP, and Collingwood Fire Department boat and passed a crowd of firefighters, hockey players, police, and bystanders - lights flashing and sirens blaring as a helicopter flew over the cruise boat.
The fanfare was all part of an effort to make some wishes come true for Trevor Paul, who loves water and boats.
Trevor has cerebral palsy and his family is visiting Collingwood this week thanks to Make a Wish foundation. Trevor wanted to swim in a lake, and the accessible ramps and paths at Wasaga Beach helped make that possible.
In addition to swimming, Trevor, Mitchell, and their mom Julie enjoyed the Elmvale Zoo and will be riding the gondola at Blue Mountain later.
Collingwood Charters was approached by Make a Wish to add a private cruise to the family's trip, and events coordinator Jenny Allison reached out to the community to help make the day even more special.
After the family of three arrived at the harbour, Trevor met a Coast Guard crew, who gave him a captain's hat and a coast guard uniform t-shirt and cap, making him captain for a day.
The fire department brought their boat and two trucks to the harbour to show Trevor the sirens and meet him.
The Collingwood Blues Junior A hockey team arrived aboard their team bus to present a donation of $1,000 for Trevor and his family.
Trevor's mom Julie was taken aback by all the surprises, and Trevor spent the afternoon smiling and enjoying some of his favourite things.