Whitby Fire 175 years of service will be celebrated with an open house at Fire Headquarters on Saturday, October 17.
The free Doors Open event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 111 McKinney Drive. Visitors can tour the station, meet fire-service members and learn about the department’s history and current emergency work.
Demonstrations scheduled throughout the day
Opening remarks from Whitby’s mayor and local dignitaries are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. inside the fire truck bay.
Fire tower demonstrations will take place at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A live-fire learning demonstration using a thermal-imaging camera is planned for 1 p.m., followed by a jaws-of-life vehicle extrication demonstration at 2 p.m.
Visitors will also be able to tour fire trucks, try an obstacle course, practise using a fire extinguisher and test a fire-hose target. Family activities include music, colouring, airbrush tattoos and self-guided displays of historical photographs and Junior Fire Camp artwork.
Memorial rendering to be shown
The event will provide a first look at the rendering for Whitby’s Fallen Firefighter Memorial. Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy designed the memorial, which is scheduled to be unveiled in 2027.
The project will honour seven Whitby firefighters who died in the line of duty. The anniversary event and memorial project received support from the federal government.
Whitby Fire Headquarters remains an active station. Attendees are asked to park at the Whitby Operations Centre at 333 McKinney Drive and enter the formal ceremony through the rear bay door.
Other Doors Open Whitby sites on October 17 include Burr Lodge, Lynde House Museum and Warren General Store.
The Whitby Fire 175 years event recognizes generations of firefighters while showing residents how today’s crews train and respond.
