| The inception of Winnipegs fire brigade was unusual compared to many other volunteer brigades in North America. Brigades in other cities were typically made up of citizens from the working class, seeking adventure, status, comradeship, or a means of serving their community. In Winnipeg, property owners, concerned with either skyrocketing fire insurance rates or the refusal of insurance companies to provide any coverage, joined forces in a gesture of self-help. Their objective was to protect their properties from fire. On October 14, 1874, city council presented its first money plebiscite to eligible voters. It included an order to obtain a $25,000 line of credit for the purchase of fire engines and apparatus, and the construction of buried underground water tanks along Main Street for firefighting purposes. This was no surprise, given that the only people who were entitled to vote during this period were the property owners, a number of whom were also responsible for organizing the fire brigade. The equipment ordered included the standard supplies for a city of Winnipeg's size: hose reels, hose, a Babcock hook-and-ladder truck, and Babcock chemical engines. The committee also ordered a horse-drawn steam pumper from the Silsby Steam Engine Company. While this unit would normally have taken six months to arrive, a day after the committee approved the order, the Silsby Company telegraphed the city, offering to immediately deliver a highly finished engine . . . for an extra $500. | |
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