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Balmoral Fire Hall National Historic Site of Canada

20 Balmoral Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1990/11/16

Corner view of the Balmoral Fire Hall, 1992.; Parks Canada Agency/Agence Parcs Canada, 1992.
General view
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Other Name(s)

Balmoral Fire Hall National Historic Site of Canada
Balmoral Fire Hall
Caserne de Pompiers Balmoral
Toronto Fire Station 311
Toronto Fire Station 311

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1911/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/06/12

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, the Balmoral Fire Hall is a small red brick Queen Anne Revival building. The designation refers to the building on its lot.

Heritage Value

The Balmoral Avenue Fire Hall was designated a national historic site of Canada because it is a particularly good example of the Queen Anne Revival Style, as expressed in institutional architecture.

The Balmoral Fire Hall is the quintessential Queen Anne Revival institutional building: a clever use of eclectic historical revival details to articulate a building with a modern function. Built in 1911, the building designed by the architect Robert McCallum is an imaginative evocation of early Renaissance Flemish urban design, featuring polychromatic materials, a sculptural treatment of surfaces, which enliven a small building with charm and economy.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, November 1990.

Character-Defining Elements

Aspects of this site which contribute to its heritage character include:
- those elements which speak to the Queen Anne Revival style as it was executed for institutional purposes, namely:
- the basically rectangular massing enlivened by varying rooflines, stepped gables, and a tower;
- a polychromatic colour scheme achieved through the combination of red brick with pale stone trim;
- the grouping of windows of various shapes including round-headed windows with prominent voussoirs; and
- the exterior expression of the contemporary function as evident in the large vehicle doors, hose tower, and open interior space for vehicles and equipment.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1990/11/16

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Governing Canada
Government and Institutions

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Government
Fire Station

Architect / Designer

Robert McCallum

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage Directorate Documentation Centre 3rd Floor, room 366 30 Victoria Street Gatineau, Québec J8X 0B3

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

529

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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