CHESTERMERE – After taking some time off to enjoy the beautiful weather this past summer, the boys felt it was time again to get going on the fire truck restoration project. A few dedicated local volunteers decided to gather all of the parts and pieces from the dismantled souvenir and move the truck to its new home right here in Chestermere. If you can imagine, there is someone out there who actually has some extra room to park a vehicle inside the garage. And here I thought garages were for holding parties and storing mountains of stuff that would eventually make its way to the dump. Who knew? Yes I’m kidding of course and the kind person who has opened his door to the old truck is Vince Young. Chestermere’s first Fire Truck is a 1952 Ford 1 Ton. The fire truck was used in the 1960s until it was taken out of service and replaced by a tanker truck in 1981. It was given up for adoption to the Chestermere Historical Foundation to bring it back to life.
It’s currently on life support from caregivers Don Lemma, Vince Young, Jack MacDonald, Dave Green and many others and they are hoping it makes a full recovery.
Previously, the relic was stored and dismantled in a garage at Marty Trim’s acreage just outside of town on 84 Street and now it has been moved into Chestermere. At the new location in West Creek it should be easier for people working on it to commit a few hours here and there. The sandblasting has been complete and will now undergo some minor body work and sanding, and finally, the paint job. It should look spectacular in the next little while. There are several things that still need to be done to get it back into ship shape. Many hands make little work, so if you have always wanted to try your hand at rebuilding an antique almost from the wheels up, now is your chance! You can meet some great guys who are patient, knowledgeable and can guide you through the steps of restoration. You will experience first-hand how body work and comradery blend together in a worthwhile project.
As with many projects, fundraising is the biggest issue right now. The truck will need a new radiator and wiring harness and of course, these are fairly expensive items. Vince Young is the owner of MJ Towing and he has a generous idea for raising some much needed cash. There are several vehicles in and around Chestermere that are considered scrap and MJ Towing will pick up the vehicle and haul it away for you. Half (yes a generous 50%) of the proceeds of the scrap will go towards the fire truck restoration fund. For more information or if you would like to help in the restoration please call Vince Young at 403-819-4117.
