Skip to main content
Go back

Orillia Fire Brigade

Vintage sepia photograph circa 1900. Orillia Fire Brigade in front of brick Fire Hall. Five men sit atop an industrious fire carriage, lead by two white horses over sandy road.

Part of OMAH’s Charles Harold Hale Collection.
Information provided by Lindsay Earle, OMAH’s History Programming Coordinator.

In 1897, Orillia opened the doors to its new Fire Hall.

Windowed doors along the lower level would fly open when an alarm was sounded, releasing the horses and fire wagons within.  The horses, known as Pat and Barney, were so well trained that when an alarm sounded and the doors opened on their stalls, they knew which harness to go line up at. The upper level contained rooms for the firemen to sleep in and gave access to the main floor via a fireman’s pole.

There were originally eight alarm boxes stationed around Orillia that could be pulled to alert the fire brigade, and without a siren on the cart, the bell sounded on the Fire Hall to alert people to get off the streets.

Besides putting out fires, the wagon was also used to deliver firewood, plow the streets in the winter, and hose down dust in the summer.