CHESTERMERE – Back in October, the keys to Chestermere’s first fire truck were handed over to members of the Chestermere Historical Foundation.
The 1952 Ford was used from 1979 to 1981 by members of the Chestermere Volunteer Fire Department, which 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 old truck was only used for a few years before it was replaced by a newer tanker truck, but it was still regarded as the first ever fire truck in the community. After it was replaced, it went into retirement for a few years, then it was later used by a welding company. Shortly after, it was officially retired, and then it sat in outdoor storage.
Luckily, the truck was generously donated to the Historical Foundation by the Meier family, and it will soon make a reappearance in the community.
On Jan. 9, foundation members Jen Peddlesden and Audrey McDonald donned their rubber boots and rain coats to start officially cleaning a few decades worth of grime off of the truck. Audrey’s husband Jack, as well as Vince Young, were on hand to assist the ladies.
Peddlesden said that Young, a local Car Nutz member and auto enthusiast, has provided them with a complete restoration plan for the truck. She said that according to him, the body of the truck is in really good shape. She said that all of the original chrome is also still in tact.
“The engine we’re not sure about, because we haven’t had a mechanic take a look at it yet, but when we still had it out in the field, the engine would still turn over, we just don’t have a battery,” she said. “It looks like the work is less than we expected considering it was stored outside for a number of years.
“So, there’s lots to do, but it’s better news than we expected in terms of how much work there is ahead.”
Peddlesden said that step one was getting the truck all clean, and the next steps are looking for people to help with the restoration process.
“We do hope some people will volunteer their time and expertise, and come forward to help us make this truck roadworthy,” Peddlesden said. “We hope do get it running, repaint it, and even find a tank that would be appropriate to match the one that would have been on the truck when it was still in use.”
Peddlesden said that they are also looking for anyone who may have served as a volunteer when the truck was still in operation.
“We’re hoping there might be someone out there who might have some old clothing, photos or anything to go along with creating a real picture of this fire truck in the way it would have looked in 1979,” she said. “If those kind of things could come forward, we would be thrilled.”
As far as why the Historical Foundation decided to take on the project, Peddlesden said it was because it is the only really physical reminder of the community’s history that they currently have.
“We have so few things in Chestermere that really are physically part of our history,” she said. “Many of the cabins have been torn down, and many of the old buildings are gone.
“That, or they’re not in any useable state where we could fix them up, kind of like the old yacht club building. We could fix it up because of it’s age and the cost.”
She said that because they didn’t receive grant funding like they had hoped, they can’t do any audits of the older buildings yet.
“We might in the future, but right now just don’t have much on hand that dates from the early days of Chestermere, which in reality really isn’t that long ago,” she said. “This fire truck is just a wonderful gift to give us something to remind us of the history of Chestermere.”
The Historical Foundation hopes to have the truck on hand at future community events. They also hope to eventually get it to run and get it a proper licence plate.
“We have lots of plans for the truck, but in the meantime we’re just going to try to get it finished,” Peddlesden said. “As it progresses, we’ll have it out and community events so people can see what we’re up to and where we’re at.
Chestermere’s first fire truck will be at Anniversary Park this weekend during the Winter Festival, for anyone who wants to take a look, have their photo taken with it, or sign up to help with the restoration. Historical Foundation members will also be taking donations that will go toward the project.
For more information about the Chestermere Historical Foundation, call Jen Peddlesden at 403- 272-3764 or Audrey McDonald at 403-272-9280, or go online to chestermerehistory.org.
