The Infamous Reston Siren

The locals of Reston today barely blink at the sound of the siren daily at 12:00 and 6:00 pm. Out of town visitors often ask - what’s that about?  I’ve been asked if I’d run across anything about it in the papers, and here’s what I found.  More information is welcome, as always. 

The early days describe the school bell as being used to get the town’s attention so I’m sure it was used for fires as well.  It was suggested in September 1906 that the school bell be rung daily at 7 am and 6 pm. The young town of Reston got serious about the need for fire protection after the disastrous fires of 1906 that destroyed the bank.  In 1910, a brick building was constructed on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Thirds Street.  Arriving by train in September that year was a pair of fire engines, ladders and a curfew bell.  A tower for the bell was part of the design along with a night watchman’s quarters and a jail cell.  You can see it in the picture below taken from the roof of the stone grocery store in 1940.   

According to a news story in a September 1910 edition of the Reston Recorder, the brave firefighters filled an old stable full of dry straw, wood etc. was lit ablaze with the help of  coal oil to demonstrate the apparatus to the townspeople/taxpayers. When the hoses quickly extinguished the fire, it was relit with some holes punched in the building to get it roaring.  Again the flames were doused and the expense to the town was approved by the attendees. The December 1910 paper says the town bell is rung 15 minutes before the afternoon and evening church services on Sundays as well as for daily curfew at 9:00 pm. The Curfew Bylaw Number 461 is printed below. 

Apparently the more rapid the ringing, the worse the fire was. It was used to ring in the New Year as well as having some unauthorized use for Halloween tricks. The bell was replaced with an automated one on top of the Municipal Office.

Stories of fires in town are sprinkled throughout the years and in 1947, there were no fires according to an article.  It goes on to say that for 1948 - Jack Cuthill was Fire chief.  The committee included L. Armstrong, Les Parker, J. K. Robertson, Reg Berry, E. Robertson, C. E. McMurchy and F. R. Manning were reappointed for the following year and the following notice was printed in the paper.

Once the local telephone service was sold to MTS in 1954 for $1.00 the duty of sounding the siren went from Pipestone Municipal System employees to those from the Manitoba Telephone System as noted in this advertisement.  The local company made a profit from its beginnings in 1906 until the 30’s and was a liability to the RM after that. Those long term valued employees mentioned include Edith McDonald, Florence Holton and Les Parker as troubleman. 

 Reston remains famous for its siren still ringing twice a day, noon and six pm. Firefighters are paged through their phones now but it still rings when more members are needed. The doors to the old fire hall faced north onto Second Avenue but it was later remodeled to have the doors looking west onto Third Street. It was torn down in 1968. Vehicles grew more modernized and larger, new space was needed and the firetrucks were stored where the municipal shops are now. A new firehall was later built with several bays and training and meeting room.  The siren rings loud and clear from the Municipal Office twice a day.  In fact, it's my deadline for this story so...