A Fredericton firefighter is giving new life discarded fire hoses.
Firefighter Bill Pugh got the idea to recycle fire hoses in a unique way a few years ago while at work.
“We were at work testing fire hoses and we ended up throwing it in the garbage and I thought ‘that’s an awful waste.’ So after work I went to the garbage and took a couple pieces home,” says Pugh.
Pugh’s first creation was a porch swing.
“I thought ‘wow, this will last for decades,’” says Pugh. “So I started doing some research on different products and we probably do 15 different products now.”
Pugh wanted to do something for the Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John and decided a Christmas present for Karma the tiger was the perfect fit.
Pugh created a swinging toy, a ball, and a new bed from fire hoses for the big cat.
“We made two regular cube balls out of fire hose, so it’s about a foot square and it’s all woven together with fire hose jacket, and then we made a hanging cube ball so they could swipe at that, and then we made, it’s about a 6.5 feet-by-four feet hammock,” says Pugh.
While anything new tends to make Karma a little skittish, Lynda Collrin with the Cherry Brook Zoo says it won’t take the tiger long to warm up to the new toys.
“This is her first look at it, but she’s been locked in so we could set it up, so she’s not happy with us because she was locked in, but I can guarantee she’s going to play with these,” says
Collrin says toys don’t typically last long in Karma’s cage, but she’s hoping the new ones will be around for a while.
“To look at them, they are so well made and sturdy and they’re outdoor toys, which you know sometimes don’t last long,” says Collrin.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
