Brandon’s Historic Coronation Bell Now on Display at No. 1 Fire Hall


October 25, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon and Brandon Fire & Emergency Services are extremely pleased to announce that after an extended period in storage, its historic Coronation Bell is finally back where it belongs – proudly on display at Brandon’s No. 1 Fire Hall.

The Coronation Bell, originally donated to the Brandon Fire Department in 1902 and named in honour of the coronation of King Edward, hung in the bell towers of Brandon’s two historic fire halls located at 7th Street and Princess Avenue. For 69 years, it rang throughout the City of Brandon to alert firefighters of fires and signaled the time to citizens every day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. It was removed from the former No. 1 Fire Hall (637 Princess Avenue) in 1971 to reduce structural stress on the bell tower and was subsequently placed into storage. Now, it has re-joined the former No. 1 Fire Hall’s original brass fireman’s pole as a stunning visual for BFES staff and visitors as they enter the foyer of Brandon’s current No.1 Fire Hall on 19th Street North.

“When Brandon Fire & Emergency Services moved into its new location in the summer of 2010, we always had a vision that the Coronation Bell would have a place at our main hall,” noted Brandon Fire Chief Brent Dane. “With the bell now installed in the front foyer of the No.1 Fire Hall, it serves as a daily reminder of the proud history of fire protection services in our community and is a very appropriate way to honour BFES’s past.”

Dane notes that at the base of the bell’s display mount are four plaques that serve to inform the public of its history. For example, one plaque indicates that the design and construction of the bell was credited to Arthur T. Timewell, a British architect and contractor, one of Brandon’s first citizens, and the designer of many of Manitoba’s first grain elevators. Another plaque references the bell’s weight of 4,400 pounds, its base diameter of 42 inches, that its composition is a bronze alloy of 77% copper and 23% tin, and that it rang in the key of “C”.

“The Coronation  Bell was originally donated to some of Brandon’s first protective services personnel and is an important piece of Brandon’s civic history, so there is no better place for it than at the iconic home of Brandon Fire & Emergency Services,” added Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest. “This completed project is absolutely stunning and citizens are welcome to stop by and enjoy this fabulous piece of our history.”

The public can view the Coronation Bell during business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Brandon’s No. 1 Fire Hall, located at 120-19th Street North.