Historic 1948 New Hamburg fire truck coming home to Wilmot Township

The 1948 Ford F-155 Bickle-Seagrave pumper, delivered new to the New Hamburg Fire Department and in service until 1978, is coming home from Alberta. The fully original truck will soon join the collection at the Wilmot Heritage Fire Brigades Museum in Baden. Contributed photo

By Gary West

There is good news coming out of The Wilmot Heritage Fire Brigades Museum in Baden. In late October, members received an unexpected email from Western Canada about a long-lost piece of local firefighting history – a 1948 Ford F-155 Bickle-Seagrave pumper that once served the New Hamburg Fire Department.

Built in Woodstock and delivered brand new to New Hamburg firefighters in 1948, the truck remained in service until 1978 before being sold. Over the decades, it passed through several owners and eventually settled in a private collection in Yellowhead County, Alta., where it was kept in heated storage and displayed alongside other antique vehicles.

Remarkably, the pumper remains almost entirely original, right down to its lettering and striping.

The Wilmot Heritage Fire Brigade is thrilled to be able to bring the truck home.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said brigade president Peter Gingerich. “We’re very excited to have the chance to return a piece of history to Wilmot Township.”

Arrangements are now underway to float the truck back from Alberta to Baden. Once it arrives, members will inspect it, complete a safety check and carry out any repairs needed to make the vehicle roadworthy and fully licensed. When that work is done, the brigade plans to drive the restored pumper from their museum to New Hamburg for a special homecoming event. Many of today’s firefighters weren’t even born when the truck last served the community.

To help cover the costs of purchasing, transporting and restoring the vehicle, the volunteer brigade has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $50,000. As a registered charity, they will issue tax receipts for all donations.

Gingerich said the museum is also welcoming new members. Firefighting experience is not required – volunteers are needed for everything from bookkeeping to cleaning and caring for the antique trucks.

The museum houses six other vintage fire trucks along with thousands of artifacts including horse-drawn equipment, uniforms, turnout gear, tools, photos and newspaper archives. Private and group tours are available by appointment.

More information can be found at wilmotfiremuseum.com, on Facebook, or by calling 519-572-2811. The museum is located at 10 Bell Dr., Baden.