I have long been fascinated by a particularly striking historic building in downtown Calgary. It stands diagonally across four city lots — a unique orientation setting it apart from the other regularly aligned blocks. Five tall arches highlighted with buff-coloured sandstone dominate its red-brick face. Block letters at its peak proclaim its purpose: Fire Headquarters.
Research for my recent Historic Calgary Week presentation finally gave me the incentive to investigate this building’s story. Constructed in 1911 as a replacement for Calgary’s original 1887 No. 1 Firehall, this structure served its purpose until 1973, when the firefighting equipment of the time finally outgrew the confines of the structure. The city-owned building then sat vacant, until it was leased to Budget Rent-A-Car from 1989 to 2019. Empty for the last five years, it seems a new tenant will soon move in.
Recognized as a Municipal Historic Resource in 2007 and a Provincial Historic Resource in 2009, this firehall is now protected from destruction. Original features include brass poles that enabled the firefighters’ rapid exit, and the 50-foot tower where canvas hoses were hung to dry. Some changes were made over time to increase the building’s functionality, but a surprising modification was decorative. After the 1915 switch to natural gas heating, a basement room originally used for coal storage was converted into a staff lounge and was decorated with murals.
Henry “Bud” Fisher had joined the Calgary Fire Department in 1912 as a painter and he spent 34 years with the department in a variety of positions, retiring as a Captain. He created eleven paintings of Scottish and Canadian landscapes in faux gold frames on the lounge walls.
The images were probably chosen to please the firefighters; many of the men were Scottish, including the fire chief and his three brothers. Significantly, the only titled painting is a postcard view showing the farm of the famous Scottish poet, Robbie Burns.
The most meaningful painting depicts the destruction of Calgary’s huge Sherman Roller Rink on February 25, 1915. The rink, located at 17th Ave. and Centre St. SW, burned to the ground in just one hour, resulting in $50,000 in damages. Incidentally, the City is now building the new Humpy Hollow Park in this location, and archaeological investigations uncovered the building’s foundations, as well as ash from the fire.
Researching Calgary’s 1911 Fire Headquarters allowed me to discover some hidden history about a distinctive historic building. Its unusual spacial orientation, beautiful architectural features, and unique interior decoration — including the art tucked away in the basement — are intriguing, but there was another mystery hidden in plain view…