Balmoral Fire Hall National Historic Site of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 43° 41.147 W 079° 23.638
17T E 629440 N 4838227
Balmoral Fire Hall is a well preserved example of architecture one might find in the Low Countries or the east coast of Scotland. The red brick Queen Anne Revival building was constructed in 1911. It serves as Fire Hall #311 in Toronto.
Waymark Code: WM1202B
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/20/2020
Views: 3
You could be forgiven for thinking you were looking at a residence overlooking an Amsterdam canal or a Scottish coastal village when faced with the stepping stone façade of the Balmoral Fire Station. It certainly has Flemish overtones. The red brick building was built in 1911 to the Queen Anne Revival plans of architect Robert McCallum. This style is usually associated with homes and not an institutional building such as a fire station. At that time the fire fighting equipment was comprised of horse drawn wagons with pumps that were manipulated by hand. 1904 had seen a devastating fire in downtown Toronto and this building is an example of new infrastructure constructed for an expanded fire fighting service that followed in the wake of the disaster. Today the charm of the building is enhanced by features such as its fire pole and the original alarm bell. Modern equipment tends to be bulky and long and to have outgrown the small station but Balmoral Fire Hall still has an engine and serves as Toronto Fire Hall #311. Balmoral Fire Hall was designated of national significance in 1990 and a federal plaque was installed on an exterior side wall in 2017.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Toronto
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: [Web Link]
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