Restored 1928 fire engine on display at North Bay Museum

An almost 100-year-old fire truck is on display at the North Bay Museum after undergoing significant restoration. It was unveiled in a ceremony Thursday morning.

The bells and sirens still work on the 1928 Bickle triple combination pumper purchased for $13,500, at the time, from the Bickle Fire Engine Company out of Woodstock, Ont.A photo of the Bickle triple combination pumper when it was first purchased by the North Bay Fire Department (Photo courtesy of the North Bay Museum) "A lot of museums have had to start with a truck that is completely rusted," Naomi Hehn, the director of North Bay Museum, told CTV News.

While it was in use for many decades, it saw its fair share of action being used to extinguish the large Queens Hotel fire in January, 1937.

"Our whole downtown has really been shaped by fires,” said Hehn.

“It's a topic that's come up again and again in displays at the museum."

When retired, it was still used for city parades. Maureen Cowcill and her husband Cliff, who was a mechanic, purchased the truck from the city in the late 1990s for $4,500 and began to restore it as much as they could.

"(Cliff) trained in England and he just loves resorting old vehicles. He had a little garage in England and also did renovations on the side,” explained Cowcill.

“Then we came to Canada. He ended up working for the City of North Bay, which means he was involved with the fire department."

Cliff could not attend the exhibit unveiling due to ailing health.Officials at the unveiling of the restored 1928 Bickle Fire Engine at the North Bay Museum on Oct. 13/22. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)The Cowcills then donated the fire truck to the museum, which fundraised and received grant money to touch it up and put it on display. That's when Peter Martin, who enjoys restoring old vehicles, got involved. He found old parts for it and put in a lot of elbow grease to patch up the rust.

“I have an interest in old fire engines because my dad was a firefighter. It's a real tank of a machine,” he explained.

“The hose rack mount has been fabricated because it was missing. The chemical tank, I found that in a place called Lincoln, down near St. Catherine's."

The museum will be the final resting place for the truck after decades of fighting fires, as young and old can read up on its history and appreciate its service to the city.

"I will be glad to see the continuity of knowledge," added Cowcill.

Once a bright red symbol of rescue, now etched in North Bay's firefighter history forever.