Tay Township firefighters have made a historic discovery and they're hoping it will become a part of the department's future.
Coun. Jeff Bumstead got a call from a friend asking him if the township would be interested in buying an antique fire truck they were looking to sell.
"They were hopeful to see it returned to Tay and Station 1 Waubaushene, where it once served," he said, talking about the 1927 LaFrance, which is currently owned and housed by Alison and Dave Durtnall at their residence in Wyevale. "They and I both believed there would be some great interest by the volunteer firefighters, both current and past serving to see it back in its former home."
As a former volunteer firefighter for station 5 in Victoria Harbour, Bumstead said, he was confident there would be great interest by the fire department, so he shared the information with his peer, Coun. Barry Norris along with fire Chief Brian Thomas and Deputy Chief Shawn Aymer.
Bumstead, Norris, and Thomas then arranged to visit and see the truck firsthand.
"I was very impressed with the overall condition considering the age of it," said Bumstead.
Norris had a similar reaction.
"This to me is more than just an antique fire truck," he said, adding there's history from it being the first motorized fire truck for Tay to it being a part of the City of Toronto's fire safety fleet back in the '50s.
Aymer said the fire department is still discovering the history of the truck.
"The truck originally was a Toronto fire aparatus," he said. "Sometime in the '50s, a Toronto firefighter was cottaging in the area and realized the Waubaushene Fire Department didn't have adequate fire-fighting equipment. So it came as a donation from the Toronto Fire Department.
"It was known to be around in the area, but no one knew (more) about it."
As they discover more about it, he said the firefighters are hoping they can involve community members in first raising funds for its purchase and then to donate time and skill to refurbish it.
As for the cost to buy it, Aymer said they're estimating it will be close to $8,000.
"The 1923 LaFrance was restored only a couple years ago (in Orillia)," he said. "It cost them $8,000, but this truck is in better condition so we're hoping it doesn't amount to that."
Aymer said the fire department is hoping to raise funds through community involvement.
"There are a lot of retired firefighters in town so we're hoping they can get involved with donating funds and donating services, either body work or mechanical," he said, adding that once purchased, the department will be looking for space to store the vehicle while it is being restored.
Ultimately, Aymer said, it's going to live at Old Fort Fire Hall, which has enough space to store an additional vehicle.
Regardless of the cost, Thomas said he believes there's more value to the piece.
"My feeling is that it is a great teamwork exercise and it promotes inter-departmental collaboration to come up with something of value and pride," he said. "That way, we have something to show off at our public education events and parades."
In addition, Thomas said the department is constantly recruiting firefighters (especially during the summer and fall) and the piece of history can raise awareness during those periods.
"It's a good tool for teaching," he said. "We can compare trucks and show them how we've advanced."
Aymer said he would be happy to talk to anyone who wanted to contribute to the project in anyway. He can be reached via email at [email protected].
"I am excited that it will be returning to Tay," said Bumstead. "It is a great piece of history which will provide both residents and visitors an opportunity to share stories of Tay’s past. Along with the purchase, community fundraising initiatives and restoration efforts there will be some great team-building and camaraderie opportunities for all four of Tay’s fire stations and the volunteer firefighters."
