Norwood fire truck auction back on

Asphodel Fire Trucks Ltd. trucks, tools and more to be sold off

A dozen fire trucks will be auctioned off online soon in a sale of trucks and tools – all the contents of a shop in Norwood that used to supply tankers and rescue vehicles to municipalities across Canada.

The London, Ont. auction house Storey's will be selling all the contents of Asphodel Fire Trucks Ltd., in addition to the property and the buildings.

The firm closed by seizure in November, 2017. It had been in business more than 20 years, building and selling trucks to municipalities across Canada.

The Storey’s website is already taking bids in the online auction.

Bidding on about a dozen new and used firetrucks and rescue vehicles closes on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.

It’s the second time Storey’s has announced an auction: one was planned for May but was delayed by court order.

‘‘ The Town of Cape St. George – population 893 – has been trying to get its truck through legal channels since early summer. Court documents show the town paid $268,544.50 for a pumper to be constructed by Asphodel Firetrucks, but the truck wasn’t delivered.

Asphodel Firetrucks owner Jeff McNiece told The Examiner in early July it was because he’d refinanced and was back in business.

McNiece wasn’t available for comment on Friday.

One truck in particular isn’t going to be auctioned off. A small town in Newfoundland had paid in full and yet never received its truck.

The Town of Cape St. George – population 893 – has been trying to get its truck through legal channels since early summer.

Court documents show the town paid $268,544.50 for a pumper to be constructed by Asphodel Firetrucks, but the truck wasn’t delivered.

Local lawyer Michael Gunsolus is representing the Town of Cape St. George as it tries to retrieve the truck (which was still under construction when the firm closed).

Although Gunsolus confirmed on Friday that the truck won’t be auctioned off, it wasn’t clear yet whether it will go to Cape St. George or to the chassis supplier.

But that was just one of five trucks destined for Newfoundland towns that were never delivered, a provincial government official told the Examiner earlier this year.

Meanwhile the Town of Erin, Ontario paid a deposit of $118,650 on a truck, The Erin Advocate reported recently, and a lawyer was trying to get the deposit back in the summer.

The Examiner has also learned that the east central town of Veteran, Alberta (pop. 250) put a deposit of about $80,000 on a truck it never received.

It was unclear on Friday whether any of those towns had received their trucks or a refund – no calls to officials in Newfoundland, Alberta or the Town of Erin were returned to The Examiner.

For more information about the auction, see www. storeys.ca/upcoming-auctions