About the Museum

The fire station that serves as the Winnipeg Firefighters Museum was built in 1904, and was used in continuous service for 86 years, until 1990. For several years after closing, it held the title of the longest-serving fire hall in Western Canada. It was identified as Station #3 until the amalgamation of Winnipeg’s 13 city departments in 1974, when it was relabeled as Station #2. Its service was replaced in 1990 by the current Station #2 at 55 Watt Street.

When the Canadian Pacific Railway reached Winnipeg in 1882, the city was known as the “Gateway to the West” and the population greatly expanded over the next 20 years. By 1900, it was obvious that the Winnipeg Fire Department (WFD) needed to rapidly expand in order to adequately serve the needs of the larger city.

The museum building was designed by two city architects, Alexander and William Melville – The “Melville Brothers”, and was one of five fire halls built in 1904. General contractors J.B. Flinders and Hugh Hudson built this hall at a cost of $22,000. This plan was eventually used to build 13 more of Winnipeg’s fire stations between 1904 and 1914. It is a 2 ½ story, brick building with a full basement. This fire hall was built to replace an earlier hall which was situated at 57 Maple Street on the northeast corner of Higgins Ave. and Maple St. That building was criticized for unsanitary stable conditions and lack of interior amenities for live-in firefighters.

The 1½ story section on the main floor at the rear of the building was originally larger than it is now, and was used as a stable that housed 10 horses, a hayloft, oat bin, and a harness room. The current kitchen was built when fire trucks replaced the horses in the 1930s.

Your Donations Keep Our Engines Running

The Winnipeg Firefighters Museum aims to entertain and educate our visitors about the current processes and historical stories of the fire service. The museum relies on your donations in order to continue with the mission of the Winnipeg Firefighters Historical Society. Please follow the link below to make a secure, charitable donation.

© 2019 The Firefighters Historical Society of Winnipeg | Reproduction of the site in part or in whole prohibited unless with written permission. All rights reserved.