Winfield Distilleries Fire Department

==History==
Hiram Walker's Winfield Distillery was located in Winfield, British Columbia. Construction began in September 1969, and upon completion in 1970 it was the second largest distillery in Canada, second only to the operation in Walkerville, Ontario. The total construction cost for the plant was $40 million. The distillery provided 200 residents with jobs spanning the entire production cycle. Distilling, blending, maturing, bottling and shipping of spirits were all details handled at the distillery. The location was chosen because the government in the region was encouraging the sort of industrial development that would not detract from the beauty of the natural landscapes to be found in the area. The location was also deemed to have access to plenty of fresh water, and it was situated on a major trucking route and served by rail. As the bottles were packaged into cases and loaded into trucks, the finished product was exported to demanding markets throughout North America and Asia. At the peak of its operation the distillery was pumping out as much as 19.5 million litres in a single year. To supply a reliable source of water to the factory Hiram Walker built an extensive water system starting with an intake in Okanagan Lake. From there water was pushed over the hill by a powerful pump. When the distillery was closed the water infrastructure was purchased by the Winfield and Okanagan Centre Irrigation District and ultimately transferred to municipal control when Lake Country was incorporated in 1995. The Hiram Walker plant prospered for more than a decade until the early eighties when sales began to fall. In 1981 1.8 million cases of spirits were produced at the distillery. By 1994 that number had fallen to 1 million. During that period taxes and government mark-ups on spirits increased dramatically which raised the price per bottle to a value that many consumers were unwilling to pay. Between 1980 and 1993 the provincial mark-up alone rose by 157 per cent. Following a trend that plagued the distilling industry in that era, Hiram Walker ceased all operations at its Winfield plant in 1995 and the facility was demolished in 2011.
The 1970 GMC Suburban ambulance was one of 76 built by GM in 1970 destined for private ambulance use in Canada. 
==Apparatus==
:1972 International CO1710 / Hub pumper (840/500) (Sold 1992 to Big White Fire Department)
:1970 GMC Suburban ambulance (Restored 2001; sold 2013 at Russo & Steele Auction Scottsdale AZ)
Category:Defunct fire departments of Central Okanagan Regional District
Category:Defunct Industrial Fire Departments (British Columbia)
Category:Former operators of Hub apparatus