Welland Central Fire Hall - Blog , NewsletterWelland Central Fire Hall - Blog , Newsletterhttps://www.centralfirehall.ca/blogs/newsletterTue, 31 Mar 2026 12:45:29 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Happy Holidays 2023 From Central Station Education Initiative]]>https://www.centralfirehall.ca/blogs/post/happy-holidays-2023Happy Holidays 2023 from Central Station Education Initiative. Here's a brief look at what we have accomplished over the past year.]]>

HERE’S A BRIEF LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE PAST YEAR

Our exterior stone foundation and brickwork was completely repointed and repaired this spring.

Once the exterior brickwork was completed to the less glamorous but necessary interior restoration and upgrades.

In July we moved the 1957 LaFrance Pumper to temporary indoor storage so work on HVAC. electrical, ceiling and floor repairs in the main truck floor could continue.

WE BOUGHT A FIRE TRUCK!

Through the generous donation of a local resident, we got the opportunity in May to bring back home to Welland the 1926 Godfredson Bickle Pumper that was in service here from 1926 to 1948.

We are extremely grateful to our retired firefighter volunteers who are busy restoring the Bickle so that it can be displayed at Central Fire Station.              
TRILLIUM FOUNDATION GRANT APPROVED!

We are very pleased to announce that in October we were the recipient of a Trillium Foundation grant of $128,500.00. Along with our previous grant of $500,000.00 from Canadian Heritage, this will allow us to complete the necessary restorations to the heritage building including plaster, paint and restoration of historic windows.

We now have heat in most of the building, including the basement. Heating on the main truck floor should be completed before Christmas. Completion of bathroom upgrades and installation of new interior and exterior lighting is expected to be finished shortly after the New Year. Lights above the exterior side doors will be in the goose neck style like those originally found there in order to maintain the heritage appearance of the building.

FIREFIGHTING HERITAGE DISPLAY MAIN FLOOR

We are now custodians of well over 1500 artefacts and archival materials associated with the history of firefighting in Welland and the Niagara region. They range from our largest artefact – the building itself – through the Bickle fire truck to firefighting gear and equipment, hundreds of photos, trophies and smaller documents.

Our Artefact/Display Committee consisting of museum professionals and retired firefighters, some of whom worked out of Central Fire Hall for decades, has been busy cleaning, cataloguing and restoring the collection as well planning for the display and recording reminiscences from long-time firefighters. We look forward to opening the display to visitors this coming year.              

We would like to sincerely thank our volunteers for their hard work this past year, all our donors and supporters and wish everyone all the best for 2024 !

]]>Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:34:43 -0500<![CDATA[January 2023 Update from Central Station Education Initiative]]>https://www.centralfirehall.ca/blogs/post/january-2023-newsletterJanuary 2023 newsletter recapping 2022 with message from Anna Olson]]>

January Newsletter

Much has been accomplished since we successfully obtained a $500,000 Legacy Grant from Canadian Heritage in the spring of 2021 to help restore Welland’s unique and historic Central Fire Station. With further grants from the City of Welland of $50,000 in both 2021 and 2022 along with your individual and corporate donations, we were able to stop the deterioration of this grand old building and begin to bring it back to life.

 

The first order of business in 2021 was to stop the leaks that were damaging the interior features by installing new flat roofs. Exterior woodwork and gutters were repaired and/or replaced as were some rotted panels in the big garage doors. As Central Station is a designated property under the Ontario Heritage Act these were done by heritage professionals from Willowbank School of Restoration Arts following recommended standards for restoration.  The entire exterior of the building, including the clock tower, was painted, restoring its impressive face to the world.


Condition of clock face before and after:

Inside, the bottom of one of the solid oak staircases which had been damaged by the leaking roof was also restored to heritage standards.


2022

A highlight of New Year, 2022, was seeing the Tower Clock once again fully operational and lit up at night after many years out of service.  Once again we were grateful to the people with special skills  - members of the Toronto Chapter 33of the National Association of Watch  & Clock Collectors Inc, who donated their services and worked along with a local electrician and jeweller to restore the workings and make 33of the National Association of Watch  & Clock Collectors Inc, who donated their services and worked along with a local electrician and jeweller to restore the workings and make 33of the National Association of Watch  & Clock Collectors Inc, who donated their services and worked along with a local electrician and jeweller to restore the workings and make operational this 100 year old electrical impulse clock. It is interesting to note that this is not the original tower clock which was lost in a fire in the 1960’s but a replacement of the same vintage from a now demolished public building in Perth, Ontario.


Central Station’s Tower Clock keeping time and lit at night, once again a dominant feature of Welland’s Downtown Cityscape.


2022 saw us turn our efforts to repairing and upgrading the interior of the building.

As the building sat unused from the time it was decommissioned as a working Fire Hall in 2006 until 2021 with it’s original furnace removed and pipes rotting, it was time to look at upgrading the HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems.

    

In addition to making progress on those systems, another serious issue addressed in 2022 was the condition of the floors.  Both the main truck floor and portions of the second floor were rotted.  The main truck floor was reinforced with new rebar and concrete as was the second floor former locker room. 

    

Looking ahead to 2023, work on HVAC and other building systems are to be completed and safety upgrades added.  This spring the final major exterior problem will be addressed when all the exterior brickwork is repointed and missing bricks replaced.

    

When done, the main floor will be a Public Heritage Space and Education Centre demonstrating with original fixtures and artefacts how Firefighters lived and worked in the building over almost 100 years. It will also feature a wall of honour for firefighters and first responders and a donor wall. 

    

As visiting and learning at the Public Heritage Space will be free of charge for Wellanders and tourists alike, school classes and other groups, the second and third floors will be rented to small businesses and not-for-profits to make the project self-sustaining economically.  To accomplish this final hurdle we have launched a major Fundraising  Campaign to meet accessibility standards with a new entrance, staircase and elevator addition at the rear of the building.



Here is a message from Anna Olson, who is Honorary Chair of Central Station Education Initiative’s 2023 Fundraising Campaign: 

“I have been familiar with this grand old building with its irreplaceable history of firefighting in Canada for many years and am pleased to lend my support to the Central Station Education Initiative’s Fundraising Campaign.”

 

Please spread the word and be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to save our firefighting history.  To donate, please go to www.centralfirehall.ca or send your donation to Central Station Education Initiative, 30 Hellems Avenue, Welland ON L3B 3A7. To receive a Charitable Receipt for income tax purposes please include your full name and address.

 

Donors, volunteers and friends, we sincerely appreciate your past support and hope we can count on your continued support in 2023!

 

]]>Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:25:39 -0500<![CDATA[Spring 2020 Newsletter]]>https://www.centralfirehall.ca/blogs/post/spring-2020-newsletterCentral Fire Station was opened on December 17, 1920 and is 100 years old this year. When opened, it was not only an architecturally striking landmark but designed practically to allow firefighters of the era to use some of the best and up to date technology of the early 20th century.]]>

Central Fire Station was opened on December 17, 1920 and 
​is 100 years old this year.

One bright spot amidst all the suffering caused by this pandemic has been a renewed focus on and appreciation for our front line responders – nurses and doctors, EMT’s, firefighters, police, and all who put their lives in danger daily to keep us all safe. 


Central Fire Station was opened on December 17, 1920 and is 100 years old this year. When opened, it was not only an architecturally striking landmark but designed practically to allow firefighters of the era to use some of the best and up to date technology of the early 20th century. 


That technology and equipment remain at Central Station waiting for us to complete restoration so we can reopen it to the public and allow residents and visitors to visit this unique time capsule to see how our firefighters and first responders lived and worked over the last hundred years. 
Central Fire Station served Welland and the surrounding area well into the 21st century.  It reminds us what our forebears accomplished when they worked together over all those years.  Once restored it will be self supporting with the upper floors rented to not for profits and other small businesses for office space, but right now she is showing her age.  We need your help to complete basic repairs and upgrades and make the building fully accessible so we can open it as a public heritage display. 

Please visit our website and donate to our capital/maintenance fund so we can save the history of our first responders in bricks and mortar for all to see and appreciate: 


Any amount welcome but we hope you will choose to give $100 for 100 years of history: 1920-2020. 

To donate by cheque:  Central Station Education Initiative, P.O. Box 432, Welland ON L3B 5R2. 

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