In 1904, the Britannia Beach Mining and Smelting Co. signed up the first members of the Britannia Beach Volunteer Fire Department — basically, every employee of the mine was an on-call firefighter, ready to respond when the sirens atop phone poles in the village sounded.
For 70 years, the company-owned fire department protected the thousands of residents who lived and worked in the two townsites.
Fast forward to 1974, when mining operations ceased and the population of Britannia Beach dropped to less than 100. That’s the same year George McLaren moved to Britannia and joined the BBVFD. Over his 40 years as a member, Deputy Chief McLaren has responded to hundreds of calls, fought two major fires, rescued six residents from a flood (for which he won a gold medal from the Lieutenant Governor) and seen many changes in the department.
“When I joined, our turn-out gear and equipment was so old that the Workers Compensation Board condemned it all,” he said. “We had two firetrucks at the time: a miserable old, one-tonne crew cab and a 1951 Bickle. I remember having to tow the old Bickle with a 966 Caterpillar loader to a fire since it was jammed in fourth gear.”
Equipment improved — sort of — in 2002 when the volunteers raised $5,000 through community events, raffles and pancake breakfasts to purchase a 1970s Cabover with juice brakes from Lillooet Volunteer Fire Department. Lovingly known as Old Yellow, it served the department for a decade.
“Old Yellow was a great truck. You just couldn’t count on it starting when you needed it and it wouldn’t stop on hills,” McLaren mused.
Since 2011, under the leadership of Chief Steve Virgint, a retired, career firefighter and first responder with the Squamish Fire Department, the BBVFD has flourished, boasting a roster of 25 dedicated and well-trained members, and equipment that’s less than a decade old.
“The truth is that you can have the best equipment, but if you don’t have dedicated firefighters to take the calls, you don’t have a fire department,” Virgint said.
“The communities of Britannia Beach, Furry Creek and Porteau Cove are very fortunate to have firefighters who are so dedicated to their training, and not only do they provide top-rate fire protection service, members of the BBVFD also lead most of the community events, from the kids’ Christmas party to the Easter egg hunt to the Halloween fireworks.”
With 110 years of service, the Britannia Beach department is one of the longest-operating volunteer fire departments in British Columbia. For all that’s changed over the century, the one thing that has remained consistent is the dedication of the men and women who give their time to both protect their neighbours and build community spirit and pride.
On Sunday (June 29), the department will mark 110 years of service with a celebration that’s open to all — not just Britannia Beach residents. It starts with a pancake breakfast from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. The official dedication of the new fire hall and the “new” 1951 Bickle fire engine takes place from 10:45 to 11 a.m. From 11 a.m. to noon, firefighters will conduct auto-extraction and propane-tree demonstrations.
The celebration will also include balloons, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and fire hats for the kids.
As well, the Britannia Mine Museum is marking 110 years with a “homecoming” event from Friday to Sunday (June 27 to 29). Some 80 to 100 former residents and/or mine workers are expected to attend.
For more information on the museum and history about the community, visit www.britanniaminemuseum.ca.
