1880 - 1899

The Tiger Company was one of three volunteer fire companies dedicated to protecting Victoria's growing business district during the late 1800s. By the 1870s, there was a need to replace the Tiger's original fire hall on Johnson Street but it was not until November 1880 that the company moved into a new fire hall built on the southwest corner of Victoria City Hall. The entrance to the fire hall was located at the arched doorway just around the corner from where you are now standing.

On January 1, 1886, the City of Victoria assumed responsibility for the fire department. Its volunteer firefighters, which included the Deluge Company, the Union Hook and Ladder Company, and the Tiger Company, were replaced with paid firefighters, with the volunteer companies serving as unofficial reserves. The Tiger Company Fire Hall was renamed the Victoria Fire Department No. 1 Hall and served citizens for more than a decade. In May 1899, it was replaced by a new and much larger Headquarters Fire Hall on Cormorant Street, which remained in use until 1959.

The Victoria Fire Department's first turntable aerial apparatus is shown during a training practice next to where you are standing. (Photo at right.) Built in 1889 by the Preston Company, the rig was well equipped with a 70-foot (21-metre) turntable aerial ladder, four ground ladders, two roof ladders, two fire extinguishers and assorted fire fighting equipment. The "truck" was drawn by horses and could be steered by the rear axle in order to facilitate turning sharp corners rapidly.

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Show me all markers in:  Victoria, BC  |  Capital  |  V8W 1P5  |  British Columbia  |  Canada

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