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• 1 2025-08-28T21:11:31+00:00 Historical Significance: Guardians of a Growing Neighbourhood 7 Explore the station's origins in 1924, its role in professionalizing Ottawa's fire department, and its response to historic blazes like the 1928 Russell Hotel fire. plain 2025-09-07T05:13:50+00:00 Fire Station No. 11 emerged as a critical safeguard for Hintonburg, a neighbourhood undergoing rapid industrialization and population growth in the early 20th century. Prior to its construction in 1924, firefighting in the area relied on a volunteer brigade established in 1900, which operated out of a small wooden shed on Wellington Street. This brigade, led by tavern owner James Byers, faces significant challenges: equipment was rudimentary, consisting of a single hose reel stored on runners pulled by Byers' horses, and responses to fires were often delayed by the need to manually alert volunteers scattered across the district. The limitations of this system were starkly exposed during the Great Hull-Ottawa Fire of 1900, a catastrophic blaze that destroyed much of Hull and parts of Ottawa. Though Hintonburg was largely spared, the event galvanized calls for better infrastructure, leading to the installation of hydrants and an expanded waterworks system by 1901.
  
  The new fire hall on Fairmont Avenue was commissioned by the Hintonburg community in August 1901 to replace its rudimentary volunteer brigade. Designed by E.L. Horwood and constructed by Villeneuve Bros. for $2,025, the single-story wooden structure featured a pioneering fire alarm system powered by batteries, with poles installed across Hintonburg and Nepean. Herbert Moodie was hired as battery inspector for $5 monthly to maintain the system. The hall opened on December 5, 1901, and became Ottawa's Station No. 11 after Hintonburg's annexation in 1907. However, by 1924, the aging building, which was plagued by structural decay and unable to accommodate modern firefighting demands, was decommissioned. 
  
  Its replacement, the state-of-the-art Parkdale Fire Station at 424 Parkdale Avenue, opened on July 28, 1924, under Captain Stephen Starr. Designed by Millson, Burgess, and Hazelgrove, the new station featured motorized engine bays, a hose drying tower, and dedicated living quarters, reflecting Ottawa’s shift to professionalized fire services. Meanwhile, the Fairmont hall was repurposed as a police station and later a funeral parlour. Today, it stands at 7 Fairmont Avenue as Forbes Beauty Co., its firefighting legacy obscured but its historic shell preserved as a testament to Hintonburg’s early civic growth.

  The 1924 opening of Station No. 11 marked a transformative shift from volunteerism to professionalism. Designed by architects Millson, Burgess, and Hazelgrove, the station was part of a citywide effort to modernize Ottawa’s fire department under Chief John Graham. Its location at 424 Parkdale Avenue was strategic, situated to protect Hintonburg’s dense mix of factories, lumber yards, and working-class homes. 

  The station’s crew, including Captain Stephen Starr, lived on-site, ensuring 24/7 readiness, a stark contrast to the earlier volunteer model, where firefighters often prioritized their day jobs over emergencies. Historians David Fitzsimons and Bernard Matheson note that the station’s construction was driven by civic urgency: City Council explicitly approved it to “give proper protection to the lives and property” of residents, reflecting Hintonburg’s transition from a semi-rural village to a bustling urban district.

  Throughout its operational years (1924–1985), the station became a symbol of resilience. It responded to major blazes like the 1928 Russell Hotel fire, a devastating incident that consumed one of Ottawa’s oldest landmarks and marked the final use of horse-drawn engines. The station also navigated challenges such as the Great Depression and postwar urbanization, adapting its tactics as Hintonburg’s industrial landscape evolved. Its closure in 1985, prompted by the construction of the Queensway and the centralization of fire services, sparked community debate. Longtime residents lamented the loss of a neighborhood institution, while city planners argued modernization was unavoidable. Today, the station’s heritage designation ensures its story endures as a testament to Hintonburg’s growth and the unsung heroes, both human and equine, who protected it.
  
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