The 2½-storey Central Fire Station, designed by architect William Alexander Elliott and constructed in 1911 by contractor Alfred Edward Bullock, is one of Brandon’s finest buildings. A previous fire hall stood here between 1882 and 1893. A 4,400-pound bell in the tower was removed in 1971 to reduce the stress on the structure. A plaque describing the history of the building was erected here by the Brandon Municipal Heritage Committee and it became a municipally-designated heritage site in 2000. The building has been renovated into a restaurant.
On 27 June 1920, the Brandon Fire Department unveiled a memorial tablet to six members of the fire department who died during the First World War. The tablet was unveiled by Brandon’s Mayor George Dinsdale. It was originally located in a recess on the outside of the building. The tablet is now located at the Brandon Fire and Emergency Services Museum.
First World War Casualties
Name |
Occupation |
Service |
Rank |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Thomas Calder
[Armoury] |
Fireman |
45th Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
Private |
30 May 1885 |
24 February 1916 |
William Dingwall
[Armoury, Orange Lodge] |
Fireman |
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
Lance Corporal |
9 April 1890 |
7 April 1917 |
Thomas Dunnett
[Armoury] |
Fireman |
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
Private |
14 February 1887 |
5 June 1916 |
William Esslemont
[Armoury] |
Fireman |
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
Company Sergeant Major |
20 March 1894 |
9 April 1917 |
Donald McDonald
[Armoury] |
Fireman |
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
Private |
22 March 1888 |
28 September 1916 |
Wilfred Lloyd Wisner
[Armoury, Lenore, Oak Lake] |
Fireman |
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles |
Private |
16 December 1894 |
15 September 1916 |
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: William Alexander Elliott (1866-1957)
Memorable Manitobans: Alfred Edward Bullock (1871-1957)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon Fire and Emergency Services Museum (120 Nineteenth Street North, Brandon)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon Fire Hall No. 2 / McTavish School / Brandon Technical School (603 Eleventh Street, Brandon)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Sources:
“Bullock is awarded fire hall contract,” Brandon Daily Sun, 13 April 1911, page 6.
“Unveil memorial to fireman who gave their lives,” Brandon Weekly Sun, 24 June 1920, page 1.
“Unveil tablet to firemen who gave their lives,” Brandon Daily Sun, 28 June 1920, page 1.
Central Fire Station, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.
We thank Peter McLure, Darryl Toews, George Penner, and Eva Janssen for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 September 2023
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