For emergencies call 911 or 596-5151
The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade would like to inform the public that in order to provide relief to our live dispatcher we have purchased an automated dispatch system. Occasionally when our dispatcher needs to leave her home she will engage the system. When you call 596-5151 you will hear a live recording and be asked to leave a message. Please leave your name, number, and the nature of the emergency. We can assure you that we are responding as normal.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter. As always we encourage everyone to call 911 to report an emergency. Please share and spread the word.
Address:
Harbour Grace Fire Hall & Social Building
8 & 10 Bannerman St
Harbour Grace, NL
A0A 2M0
Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade Facebook
175th Anniversary Booklet – Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade
The Bell Tower Dedication
By Robert Lynch, Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade (Retired)
On September 12, 2021, members of The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade family, hosted by the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Top of the Ladder Club, gathered to bless, dedicate, and unveil the newly constructed Bell Tower. This celebration would not have been possible without the dogged determination by the Bell Tower Committee members, the generous financial donations of the Garland Families, and the support of two local businesses — Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprise Ltd and the Harbour Grace Cold Storage Ltd. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the late Mr. and Mrs. Albert (Bud) and Mildred Chafe.
It has been said that the best of the community is often found in its volunteers. These people join groups that they feel akin to and have an interest in serving. There are many such groups in our province, in Canada, and throughout the world. In our town, one such group is known as the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade. This Brigade is made up of its active membership, its Ladies Auxiliary, for a time a Junior Brigade, and its Top of the Ladder Club – together what we like to call our Brigade Family. The Town of Harbour Grace boasts the oldest volunteer fire brigade in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, having been established in 1830 and operating in the present day
It has been a goal of the Top of the Ladder Club to see the construction of the Bell Tower for many years (in fact, the topic can be found in the minutes of their 2012 meeting). Since then, there have been several avenues tried to raise the necessary funds and to obtain manpower needed to complete the project. It was only when the families of three former firefighters (now deceased) were approached that the financial support was attained. Once this was secured, the committee began sourcing the material needed for the construction, and in doing so found the two local business eagerly willing to get behind the project and would see it to its completion.
In 1869, the first bell tower was installed in Harbour Grace. The tolling bell would signal a call for assistance and the townsfolk would gather for the common good. The Bell Tower is the last of its kind and is historically valued because it is a nineteenth century style alarm bell. There were three bells at one time used to summon help. One at the foot of Victoria Street, one near Cochrane Street, and one on Brown’s Hill in the west end of town. These Bell Towers were used to issue calls for assistance up until the great fire of 1944, when they were replace by electric sirens. The Harbour Grace Fire Bell is culturally valuable because it represents an aspect of the long-running Volunteer Fire Brigade, for which the community is very proud. The Bell is a standing reminder of firefighter bravery and heroism. Beneath this bell is a plaque, a memorial to all firefighters, which states: The Last Alarm, Dedicated to the memory of all deceased firefighters of the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade; Also in honour of the present firefighters who protect our town.
The Tower’s character-defining elements are all those elements which embody the nineteenth century qualities of the fire bell, including:
-the bell located within a wooden, freestanding tower;
-the size, shape, height and massing of the wooden tower;
-the memorial plaque located beneath the tower; and
-the red color of the tower making it highly visible and associated with the usual red color of fire trucks.
In my closing remarks at he ceremony, I said: “Today we gather to celebrate the dedication of this bell tower as an symbolic acknowledgement of the work and volunteerism of the members of The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade Family past and present. In a town rich in history, it will stand to be remind people of a time when technology was not what it is today but the call for assistance had to get out.”
This article has been republished from Canadian Firefighter Magazine, originally published Dec. 23, 2021.
New HGVFB Fire Bell Storyboard
Stop by the restored HGVFB Fire Bell Tower (Town of Harbour Grace Municipal Heritage Site) and read the new storyboard placed by the Brigade’s Top of the Ladder Club.
The Top of the Ladder Club would like to recognize and thank the Chafe family, who donated the stand for the storyboard in memory of the late Mildred and Albert (Bud) Chafe.
The Town wishes to thank both the Brigade and its Top of the Ladder Club for their efforts to restore and enhance this historic structure.
History of the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade
In the early days of Harbour Grace, during the time of large firms such as Ridleys, Munns and Dansons and others, the owners and officials of these companies felt great civic pride and contributed time and effort to the layout and well being of the town. After the fire of 1816, and realizing that with the growth of the community, the fire hazard increased, the group formed the Fire Company in 1830 and delegated certain employees to respond to fires. This company was organized in 1830 under the British Act III, Chapter IV. In 1832, under His Majesty William IV (“The Sailor King”), members were given the status of naval reservists. In 1841 the wardens and captains applied under this Act to the magistrate for permission to levy a tax, at the rate of six-pence per pound (2.5%), o
n appraised rentals on all buildings in the boundaries for more efficient operation of the Fire Company.
On September 5, 1860, citizens met and formed what is now known as the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade. The first director (ie., Fire Chief) was John Hayward. The Brigade consisted of a first director; three second directors, one for each section of the town (east, central and west); three lieutenants, nozzle or branchmen; and sixteen other volunteers who manned hydrants, ladders, and other duties assigned by officers. They used wooden buckets which, when filled, were passed from hand to hand. Next, the Brigade acquired a four-wheeled rig to which two rows of buckets and ladders were attached. The men were provided with helmets. The men hauled the rig to the scene of the fire, sometimes over long distances. In 1863 the old Medlock was acquired – then considered a great step forward. Built by Hall and Sons in Oldham England, and costing 200 pounds, the Medlock held a manual pumping machine, which pumped water from the harbour and wells. Punton and Munn imported the machine from England for the Brigade.
Regatta & the Silver Trumpet
On July 22, 1862, members of the Brigade came out in their blue uniforms and, headed by a band, formed a procession march and carried boats on their backs to Lady Lake (or Lady Pond), to hold the town’s first regatta, now the second-oldest continuous sporting event in North America.
A description of the uniforms and the procession to the lake read: “It was a red Garibaldi shirt with green velvet facings, pants with red stripes down the side, and a cap like that worn by the soldiers of the Federal Army during the Civil War. Each officer had his own insignia; for instance, the Treasurer wore the keys, and the Secretary quill, etc. It was a picturesque and splendid uniform that was used for special occasions.”
R.T. Parsons & W.E. Parsons with the Silver Trumpet, ca. 1932
It must have been a colourful sight for those spectators who lined the route or followed the procession all the way to the waters of beautiful Lady Lake, where the grounds and numerous tents were decorated with bunting and flags fluttered in the summer breeze.
In the early racing regattas the Silver Trumpet was used as a microphone would be used today. Until this trumpet came onto the scene, regatta organizers did not have meas of contacting boat crews other than yelling and gesturing from the lakeside. The trumpet enabled the races to run more smoothly and professionally.
The Silver Trumpet was donated around 1890 to Joseph Godden by Edward Phelan of Vancouver. A cooper by trade, Phelan had formerly lived and worked with Garland’s Ltd, one of Harbour Grace’s larger firms. Phelan later moved to Vancouver, where he retired and sent the trumpet to the Brigade for their use.
Through the years the Silver Trumpet was the subject of many interesting stories. For instance, due to fiscal restraints in the early 1900s, the membership decided to raise money for the Brigade by melting the trumpet and selling the silver. Luckily, for unknown reasons, this action was not taken and this important part of community heritage remains. The trumpet also went missing for several years, having been packaged for shipping to parts unknown. The membership at the time requested the trumpet returned and it now remains the property of the present Brigade.
Today, the trumpet is used at the annual general meeting of the Fire Brigade. At this meeting, during the election of officers, the Silver Trumpet is passed from the outgoing fire chief to the new fire chief as a symbolic gesture.
New Equipment & Fire Brigade Building
Victoria St fire bell
In the early days, members of the Brigade were notified that their assistance was needed by word of mouth. In 1869 the first fire bell was installed in Harbour Grace. There were three bells: one at the foot of Victoria St; one near Cochrane St, west of where Hotel Harbour Grace stands today; and the third at Brown’s Hill on Water St, in the west end of town. After the fire of 1944, these towers were taken down and replaced with an electric siren, operated at first from Telephone Centre. Because there was no service between midnight and 8:00 a.m., the control switch was then installed at the RCMP headquarters and later replaced in a private home with telephone service enhanced by the dial system, which proved to be a boon in expediting response to alarm by firemen.
Three wheel carriages were added to the equipment shortly after the acquisition of the Medlock. These were housed in sheds built in the east and west end. Each of the carriages were equipped with eight lengths of 2″ hose with open nozzles and three way hydrants heads with
shut-off valves – standard equipment in each carriage. The central equipment was housed in a provincially owned building situated on Bannerman St, built by William Carson, a Harbour Grace contractor, for $8,000. This building
was officially opened and passed over to the Brigade on November 4, 1909, by Governor Sir Ralph Williams and Premier Sir Edward Morris. The building provided offices for the Newfoundland Constabulary and other government agencies as well. The fire brigade used the right tower to hang and dry hoses.
The structure was practically torn down in 1943, and the remaining materials were recycled to construct the present-day Social Building on the same foundation.