Historical Society - Smoke on the Water

1964-PRESENT: THE WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE

The Charles A. Reed replaced the contracted replaced the contracted T.J. Clarke Clarke for fire protection in the habour. It was 50', bow to stern, had a 12' beam, 1200 GPM a 12' beam, 1200 GPM capability, cruised at 14 mph capability, cruised at 14 mph and had a crew of five. At and had a crew of five. At the time it was the time it was commissioned, it was the only vessel in Canada capable of firefighting. It capable of firefighting. It was the first fireboat exclusively commissioned exclusively commissioned for firefighting by the TFD. Without today’s ice breaking capabilities, the breaking capabilities, the Reed Reed was put into dry dock each winter. The firefighters had an o ce in was put into dry dock each winter. The firefighters had an o ce in the filtration plant and a signal system to alert islanders to the location of a fire.

September 17, 1949: The Reed battled the S.S. Noronic. Also in 1949, it responded to a fire at the Gair paper box company.

Commissioned into service on May 18, 1964, the Commissioned into service on May 18, 1964, the William Lyon Mackenzie William Lyon Mackenzie is a 10,000gpm, ice is a 10,000gpm, ice breaking, twin screw diesel fireboat, complete with a 16.5m articulated boom (removed in 2020.) Its original purchase price was around $605,000. It is just under 81', bow to stern, with a 24' beam. At the island yacht club fire, the Mackenzie was the only apparatus used, due to access issues. Over 30 boats were lost.

July 21, 1965: The William Lyon Mackenzie battling a fire on the Greek freighter, Orient Trader.

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