PRESENTS
LEGENDS OF THE JUNCTION
Fire Station #1
By David Wencer
Much of the early history of the Junction exists only in old
documents and maps. The Junction's first official fire hall, however, still
exists today in the form of TFS Station #423. Equally impressive is that the
current fire company is very active in pursuing its own history, and for much
of our knowledge of Junction firefighting we are indebted to the research
performed by the firefighters themselves, who conduct their own research and
seek to preserve and promote their own history.
The earliest known presence of fire safety in the Junction dates from 1795,
when all of York Township was subject to the "Bucket By-Law," which
required every home to keep a bucket on promises for the purpose of extinguishing
fires. As the Junction began developing in the 1880's, however, it became
clear that some form of organized firefighting was needed. The exact date
when the first Junction fire station opened is not known, but the first evidence
of such an institution is a photograph from 1888, showing an enormous bell
tower and horse-drawn wagon at the corner of Dundas & Pacific. The bell
that currently sits outside the modern station dates from two years later,
and was key not only to the fire station but to the Junction as a whole. These
bells served as the town bell, rung three times a day to indicate the time.
They were also, of course, rung to signify a fire; in 19th Century the station
was staffed mainly by volunteers who regularly worked other jobs and thus
had to be summoned to the station in the event of an emergency. Traditionally,
the bell tower also had greater significance for towns, as the top was the
Junction's highest vantage point; thus, in the event of an invasion from the
south, it would be the first target enemies would attempt to capture (the
bell was also significant in this capacity as it could be melted down for
ammunition or other resources). Of course, this never happened in the Junction.
In 1890, mechanized Fire Alarm Boxes were first installed across the station's
region, so that residents could signal the department in the event of emergency.
Numerous other advents, such as the acquisition of parade clothing, and an
internal gong which dispatched the horses needed to pull the wagons followed.
By the 1890's the Junction was serviced by two fire companies: one located
at Keele & Dundas (the site of the present fire hall) and the other on
what is now Ford Street.
One of the most notable calls for the company was April 19, 1904: the Great
Toronto Fire which leveled several blocks of downtown Toronto. The fire was
outside of the Junction company's jurisdiction, but the City of Toronto soon
requested outside assistance from other cities as far away as Buffalo. Despite
the limited transportation options of the time and a general lack of infrastructure,
a crew of 8 Junction fire fighters (5 of whom were volunteers), a hose wagon
and 500 feet of hose was able to respond within 15 minutes of the request
for assistance.
Following the Junction's amalgamation with the city of Toronto in 1909, the
fire hall was renumbered #20. The original building was replaced with the
modern structure in 1958, which still houses many artifacts and photographs
of historical interest from its earlier days. Following the Megacity amalgamation
of 1998, the station was given its new number of 423, and was allowed to design
its own crest, which proudly indicates its historical context. In addition
to featuring firefighting apparatus and Junction references, it includes a
stylized rendering of the Great Toronto Fire and a phoenix rising from the
ashes. In the foreground of the crest is a bull locking horns with a locomotive,
not simply representing the stockyards and railroads of the Junction, but
cattle which frequently escaped the slaughter to wander about Keele St. It
became the fire men's responsibility like Western cowboys to "wrangle"
the mavericks back to the Junction's Union Stock Yards, then the biggest Cattle
market in North America.
Continuing to provide invaluable service to the community, Station #423 is
very proactive in researching and preserving their own history. Of further
note is the honor roll the station maintains of Junction firefighters who
have died in the line of duty or as a result of work-related injuries or illnesses.
They have also established a memorial on their site to the fallen firefighters
of the 9/11. The Fire Hall remains, in both fact and spirit, a living legend
of the Junction.