Qualicum Beach Coun. Robert Filmer is trying bring home an old fire truck that was puchased by the town in 1962.
Engine No. 2, a Ford F-700 fire truck, was the first new piece of equipment the town has purchased for the fire department and thr0ughout its years of service, was always the first on the scene. Filmer said it has helped protect Qualicum Beach, the people and infrastructure.
The truck was retired and sat in the town’s public works yard. But in 2018, a hobbyist, Doug Andrew purchased the truck and restored it.
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Filmer said it’s now been fully refurbished with new paint and new letters that vividly reads “Village of Qualicum Beach.”
The town doesn’t have the funds to buy the truck back said Filmer and he took it upon himself to raise funds to purchase it from Andrew. He has made a deal with the hobbyist to give him three weeks to raise money. He has opened a GoFundMe account with a goal of raising $6,000.
Filmer said his family, who has lived in Qualicum Beach for approximately 80 years, has an attachment to the truck as his grandfather and his father were firefighters. He plans to donate it back to the town.
“It is and always has been my goal to protect and preserve the history of Qualicum Beach and I strongly believe this piece of history deserves a place here, where it can be respected, preserved and enjoyed by all,” Filmer said on the GoFundMe page.
— NEWS Staff