Bravo Toronto firefighters!

Toronto is the favorite city for many American movie producers for the movie productions. Its many common features with the American cities as well as the lower cost of production including lower taxes, has resulted in many American movies being shot in Toronto.

This time however an already planned movie to be shot in Toronto is cancelled due to lack of cooperation from Toronto firefighters in response to the request from their colleagues in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The movie, based on a book about the death of six firefighters in a 1999 blaze in Worcester, Mass., had attracted fierce condemnation from the dead men's families and firefighters' unions.

The families charged that the writer and the film company were making money from their loved ones' deaths.

"We just didn't want our children exposed to the film," said Michelle Lucey from her home in Massachusetts yesterday. Lucey is a widow of one of the firefighters who was killed in the blaze on Dec. 3, 1999.

Firefighters' unions added their objections, claiming parts of the book account were inaccurate.

Toronto union president Scott Marks said local firefighters refused to provide vital co-operation with the filming of 3000 Degrees because of a call for a boycott from firefighters in Worcester.

I understand that the cancellation of the movie, 3000 Degrees will result in lost business and some jobs in Toronto that could otherwise be created, but on the other hand, seeing that these greedy corporations use every opportunity, including the death of people, to make money is sure upsetting. Additionally, it is important to respect the wishes of the families of the victims of 1999 blaze and their colleagues as not to make a movie that would bring back that horrifying memory to the families, especially the children of the victims.