Sound the alarm: Welland’s Central Fire Station far behind in votes to win $50,000
Nora Reid needs Wellanders to vote daily for Central Fire Station in National Trust for Canada’s Next Great Save competition.
The president of Central Station Education Initiative (CSEI) said the fire station is falling behind in votes compared to communities like Kirkland Lake, Ont., the western Newfoundland town of Aguathuna and Nanton, Alta.
Welland’s population of nearly 58,000 people is seven times the size of Kirkland Lake, 129 times the size of Aguathuna and 26 times larger than Nanton’s.
Reid hopes Rose City residents, and those from across Niagara, with a population of nearly 480,000, will show the same spirit as the smaller Canadian communities and vote in the last week of the contest.
The competition aims to help protect and restore the country’s historic places by awarding up to a total $65,000 to groups to make their projects a reality.
CSEI volunteers are working to turn the former fire hall into a museum for emergency services on the first floor, with the top two floors of the three-storey structure to be used as a public space for not-for-profits, small businesses and artisans.
On Division Street at Hellems Avenue, the structure, closed in 2006, is an Edwardian classicalstyle building and one of the last 1920s-era fire stations with some original equipment, including fire poles.
Reid said the $50,000 top prize would help toward restoring the fire station.
With exterior work — roofing, mortar repointing and repairing deteriorated brick and stone — carried out over the past few years, the group, which has a 10-year lease with the city with an option to renew, is now working on restoring windows and interior finishes.
Other work on the project includes reinforcing the truck floor and new HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.
As of noon Monday, Central Fire Station had 4,119 votes, Kirkland Lake’s LaSalle Theatre had 23,161, Aguathuna ’s Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church 23,336, and Nanton’s Grain Elevator had 16,129.
Reid said people can vote daily to help Welland claim the top prize.