Historic Welland fire hall restoration vying for cash in National Trust Canada contest
Welland’s Central Fire Station could be Canada’s Next Great Save, but it’s up against some stiff competition.
Next Great Save is a National Trust for Canada competition that aims to help protect and restore the country’s historic places by awarding up to $65,000 to groups to make their projects a reality.
Welland’s former fire hall on Division Street at Hellems Avenue is an Edwardian classical-style building and one of the last 1920s-era fire stations with some original equipment, including fire poles.
In a release, National Trust for Canada said 12 finalists were selected based on a team’s ability to save their historic place.
Darcy Baker, a Central Station Education Initiative (CSEI) volunteer for the past couple of years and a Pelham Fire Department volunteer firefighter for 11 years, said he’s been to a few of the 11 other contest sites competing against the fire hall, which include a lighthouse, theatres and churches.
“They all have merit, and they could all use the money,” he said.
Baker said Central Fire Station is iconic and stands out in Welland’s downtown core.
“Anybody that lives in the area knows it.”
He said when opportunity arose for him to be a part of the project to restore and preserve the building, which includes a museum for emergency services in Niagara, he jumped on board.
His two sons — one in university and the other in high school — volunteer alongside him in fixing the building, which served as a fire station until 2006.
“Over the last several decades, downtowns, not just in Niagara but across the province, have lost impressive structures … lost cultural history every time we lose one of these old buildings.”
He said the fire station project is unique in that it will open the top two floors of the three-storey structure as a public space for not-forprofits, small businesses and artisans, and allow it to continue to function as an important part of the community.
“It’s well thought out,” Baker said. Province spending $1B on
Community is a big part of the project, with residents asked to support CSEI — and its Next Great Save contest entry.
Voting opens Thursday. Baker said people can cast online ballots for the Welland project once a day until May 6. The first-place winner receives $50,000, with second receiving $10,000 and third $5,000.
Just being on the finals list helps bring attention to the fire station, he added.
CSEI president Nora Reid said the $50,000 prize would go a long way toward completing restoration of the entire heritage building, for which the group has a 10-year lease with the city, with an option to renew.
With exterior work — roofing, mortar repointing and repairing deteriorated brick and stone — carried out over the past few years, Reid said the group 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.
Last week, volunteers were at the fire station to make a video, with the help of LEV8 Low Level Aerial Photography and Digital Media owner Andy Harris, to be posted on the Next Great Save website.
“We’ll have a one-minute video talking about the fire hall and asking people to vote for us,” said Reid, adding there will be photos as well to show the station.