It might be the most public marriage proposal in 100 Mile House history.
Hunter Peever, an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter and something of a romantic, popped the question to his 18-year-old girlfriend of almost three years, Mikayla Charbonneau, in front of a flashing 100 Mile House Fire-Rescue fire engine in the middle of the very popular Santa Claus Parade as hundreds of revellers looked on in the middle of town on Nov. 20.
The young, newly engaged couple are recent graduates of Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School. Mikayla is studying to become a nurse and Hunter is training to become a professional firefighter.
The couple met almost three years ago at Lake Of The Trees Bible Camp, Hunter explains, “and pretty much hit it off from there.”
“Surprisingly, all day I was really chill about it,” says Hunter of the day he asked Mikayla to marry him. “But then, about 30 minutes or so beforehand, I started getting pretty nervous.”
Mikayla loves Christmas and Hunter planned his proposal accordingly. Hunter was handing out candy along the route beside the crawling fire engine and his parents had Mikayla standing out front the Fascination Street Toys & Games store, where Hunter told the driver of the engine to stop.
He asked Chris Watkins – a fellow 100 Mile House Fire-Rescue member and a regular announcer at 100 Mile House Wranglers hockey games – to use that rich and resounding voice of his to call Mikayla over to the front of the vehicle, where firefighters started pulling out their phones to record the charming moment ahead.
Hunter, in his firefighting turnout gear, stepped out from beside the truck and met Mikayla, got down on one knee, said something sweet, and asked her to marry him.
Mikayla said yes, wiped away tears and smiled, and the newly engaged couple continued along the parade route and handed out more candy.
They're hoping to be married next summer.
“She was really excited,” Hunter says. “She said she didn't see it coming.”