New Oshawa Fire Chief takes over top job August 1

Deputy Fire Chief Steven Barkwell will move into the hot seat August 1 as the new Fire Chief for the City of Oshawa.

Barkwell was officially introduced at Monday’s Oshawa Council meeting.

Barkwell, who has been with Oshawa Fire since graduating from Durham College’s firefighter course in 1999, takes over from Chief Derrick Clark, who is set to step into retirement July 31.

Barkwell was appointed Acting Captain in 2016 and assumed the Deputy Fire Chief’s role in 2018.

Clark, who was named Fire Chief of the Year in 2022 by the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, has been Oshawa Fire Chief since 2018.