CARLYLE — A long-time member of Carlyle Fire and Rescue is among the candidates to be part of the next edition of the Saskatchewan Fire Fighters Calendar.
Michelle Orsted is one of 17 firefighters from across the province chosen to be part of the calendar selection night April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.
In an interview with SaskToday, Orsted said she has wanted to audition for the calendar for years, but hasn’t had the necessary time to commit. She has also always wanted to help the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, which is the beneficiary of the calendar sales.
“I’ve had close friends and family that have had to use the hospital in Saskaton, too, so it’s my way of paying it back,” she said.
Among her biggest supporters is Blaze Dunn, the Carlyle youth who was the champion child for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation in 2025-26.
“I helped Blaze a lot when he was doing his campaigning and stuff, his videos with the fire department,” said Orsted, who has known Blaze's parents for many years.
“When he became champion child, we did a lot of work with him. He’s been a super trooper. I think he’s probably my biggest supporter that I have out there," she added later.
There has been a lot of work to get ready for the competition – working with a trainer, concentrating on her foods and focusing on workouts, but she has enjoyed the process.
“The hardest part is the amount of food you have to eat,” she said. “I only actually do three workouts a week, and they’re 30 minutes.”
Orsted has also been getting herself in a spot where she’s comfortable because the selection night will be way out of her comfort zone.
To be picked for the selection night, she had to submit an application that included a couple of photos showing how she would look in the calendar.
“I have awesome support from around our community. I’ve had … quite a few people that, whenever the calendar came out, they bugged me on why I haven’t done it yet.”
Carlyle has been fortunate to have two members chosen for the calendar in Travis VanMeer and Wayne Zandee, she said, while another has qualified for selection night in the past.
The support she receives through an online vote will play a role in whether she is chosen for the calendar. You can click here to support her.
“The online votes, they’re crucial for it, but so are the votes that come in on selection night,” said Orsted.
The Carlyle fire department has a really good group of people from the town and the surrounding area. She is glad she is able to help people in what she said can be “their worst days”.
"Just to be a familiar face, a hug, somebody that’s there, and if anything were to happen to myself or my family when we’re driving somewhere, I would hope that there would be a volunteer department that would come and assist us as well,” she said.
Orsted joined the department through her brother. She recalled became a “runner” for drinks, foods and parts, she said, and after about a year of helping out and spending time at the hall for meetings, practices and fundraisers, they asked her to join.
She was presented with a 25-year service pin April 14 at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities convention in Regina.
Her son Austin Dovell and her brother Shaun Orsted are members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service. Her family has also purchased a table for the Regina selection night.
"The community support and the other fire departments that are helping to support me with this are spectacular,” said Orsted.
While she was born and raised in Carlyle, her connections to Estevan run deep. Her grandparents ran the Orsted Funeral Home in Estevan and Carlyle, and she was around the business for much of her life.
Also chosen for the selection night is Jenn Meredith of the Carnduff department. SaskToday will have a story on Meredith in the coming days.
