CHESTERMERE – It was in 1979 that the Chestermere Volunteer Fire Department was started by Wayne Paquette and Roy Berg. It began as the Volunteer Fire Protection group, and consisted of around a dozen active volunteers.
The first “fire hall” was a shack located near the north end of East Chestermere Drive. It was used as a first-aid station as well as a place to house the old truck with a water pump on it.
When the old truck was replaced by a newer tanker truck, it went into retirement for a few years. It was was later used by Jack Meier’s welding company, before officially being retired.
Thanks to the dedicated members of the Chestermere Historical Foundation (CHF) and a generous donation from the Meier family, that old truck is going to make a reappearance in the community.
On Oct. 2, Jack’s nephew Danny Meier turned the keys of the 1952 Ford over to CHF members Jen Peddlesden and Audrey McDonald. The CHF hopes to one day get the truck running and use it for community events and showings when possible.
“The plan is to find a temporary home for the truck, give it a good cleaning, and then assess what needs to be done to get it shiny and running,” Peddlesden said. “Surprisingly, when the engine was engaged it did turn over, so there is hope for this old truck becoming roadworthy yet.”
The truck, which still has the Cabin Owner’s Association (COA) initials and logo on the sides, is in pretty good condition considering it has braved the elements for a quite a few years. An envelope in the glove compartment showed a receipt for registration vehicle and an AMA membership from the 60’s.
“We’d like to thank the Meier family for the generous donation to the Chestermere Historical Foundation,” Peddlesden said. “With any luck we will see the truck in the Chestermere Country Fair Parade one of these years.
“All the CHF needs now is a bit of cash to get this done, some willing hands, and a Dalmatian to ride in the cab that first parade.”
Peddlesen said that anyone who is willing to donate their time or expertise in refurbishing the truck is welcome to contact them anytime.
For more information about the Chestermere Historical Foundation, call Audrey McDonald at 403-272-9280.
