Leaside Fire Department

The Village of Leaside was a municipality in the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. It was located on the west side of East York, in the Eglinton Avenue and Laird Drive area.

History
In the early part of the twentieth century, basic fire protection in Leaside was provided by industrial fire brigades from the Canadian National Railway, Canada Wire and Cable and Durant Motors. In 1924, the village purchased a fire truck from Canada Wire and built a fire station at McRae and Laird Drives. The Leaside Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized in 1929, with a force of 18 volunteers under Chief D.J. Bell. Canada Wire, the CNR and Durant presented the new department with a Rugby fire truck. The apparatus was stored at a number of locations over the years, until a bay was rented at a local garage in 1938. Storage issues arose again when a second truck was acquired in 1940.

During the Second World War, planning began for a new municipal office / police station / fire hall. The new building opened on McRae Drive in 1949 and Leaside's volunteers were amalgamated into a full-time fire department. By 1958, there were 18 full-timers.

In 1967, Leaside amalgamated with East York. Leaside had 44 full time staff. The departments had worked closely together prior to amalgamation, and Leaside chief Ernest Bell became chief of the new department.

Apparatus

 * 1964 IHC CO8190 / King pump (840/?)
 * 1949 Lafrance 7-75-AJO aerial (-/-/75') (Sold to Aurora, Ontario. Sold to Westminster, Ontario).
 * Gotfredson pump