Leaside Fire Department

==History==
The Town of Leaside was located in the Eglinton Avenue and Laird Drive area of Toronto.
In the early part of the twentieth century, basic fire protection in Leaside was provided by industrial fire brigades from the Canadian National Railway, Canada Wire and Cable and Durant Motors. In 1924, the village purchased a fire truck from Canada Wire and built a fire station at McRae and Laird Drives. The Leaside Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized in 1929, with a force of 18 volunteers under Chief D.J. Bell. Canada Wire, the CNR and Durant presented the new department with a Rugby fire truck. The apparatus was stored at a number of locations over the years, until a bay was rented at a local garage in 1938. Storage issues arose again when a second truck was acquired in 1940. 
During the Second World War, planning began for a new municipal office / police station / fire hall. The new building opened on McRae Drive in 1949 and Leaside's volunteers were amalgamated into a full-time fire department. By 1958, there were 18 full-timers. 
In 1967, Leaside amalgamated with East York and the fire department became part of an enlarged East York Fire Department. Leaside had 44 full-time staff. The departments had worked closely together prior to amalgamation, and Leaside Chief Ernest Bell became chief of the new department.
=== Fire Stations===
Station 	Address 	In Service 	Notes
Fire Station	231 McRae Drive	1949-1967 (amalgamation)	Became East York FD Station 1. Now Toronto Fire Services Station 321
==Apparatus==
:1964 International CO8190 / King pumper (840/?) (SN#64068)
:195? station wagon (Chief)
:1949 LaFrance 7-75-AJO aerial (-/-/75' mid-mount) (SN#L-3585) (Sold to Aurora Fire Department (Ontario))
:1941 International KB / Bickle pumper
:1929 Rugby pumper
:Gottfredson pumper
==Sources==
*Friebe, Marla. A History of the Toronto Fire Services 1874-2002. Toronto: City of Toronto, 2003.
Category:Defunct fire departments of Metropolitan Toronto]]
Category:Former operators of Bickle / Bickle-Seagrave apparatus
Category:Former operators of King-Seagrave apparatus
Category:Former operators of LaFrance apparatus