100th Anniversary of Caledon Fire and Emergency Services celebrated in Alton with new public art installation

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new public art piece has come to Alton, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Caledon Fire and Emergency Services.

The Town of Caledon shared the new piece, “serves as a tribute to the bravery and dedication of firefighters.”

The new bell sculpture, titled “Our Guardian's Toll” by local artist David Reale, hangs outside the Alton fire station.

The fire station bell inspired the sculpture itself and features internal chimes.

After 45 years in his career as an Industrial designer, Reale says he's never competed for anything, until the chance came to create this new public artwork.

“This wasn't a corporate contest to name a kid's breakfast cereal. This hit home. It was for my community. It not only struck a creative chord; it struck an emotional one as well. Here I was, given this opportunity to create something genuinely special. This was for my childhood role models and the preservation of history,” says Reale.

He shares that it was his chance to create an art piece that would be a lasting tribute, “a permanent sculpture that our firefighters and community would enjoy and be proud of for decades to come, and if built right, it would last into the next century.”

When creating the piece, Reale says it had to be a recognizable symbol associated with firefighters.

“It had to be strong and bold, confident and reassuring. The art piece, quite simply, had to resemble a knight in shining armour,” says Reale.

Using his background in architectural metals, he chose to replace the iconic bell with a modern, stainless steel version of the same bell. 

“This bell, however, had to personify strength and bravery. I hoped I had achieved that,” he says.

Inside the bell are chimes that move with the wind, as Reale notes, “a bell is only a bell if it rings.”

“When a fire bell tolls it's a call to action. The internal chimes are to remind us of the tireless commitment of our firefighters. At any hour it could sound, and when that bell tolls our knights don their armour and fly into action,” he says. “A light summer night breeze can stir the subtle chimes on this art piece. Forever reminding us.”

Judith D'Souza Soares, Commissioner of Community Services for the Town of Caledon, shared that as the Town's public art program continues to grow, the Community Services Commission identified Alton, recognized as a hub for creativity and the arts, as an ideal location for a new piece celebrating Caledon Fire's 100th anniversary.

The Town's public art program offers opportunities to highlight the talents of local artists and reimagine public spaces through the lens of arts and heritage. 

Below the new art piece stands a 1923 Bickle wheeled chemical engine cart.

The 1923 Bickle chemical engine is considered Alton's first fire truck.

It was delivered to the Alton Police Village in 1923 and restored by Alton firefighters in 1981.

Along with the addition of the bell is a new heritage plaque, describing the history and operation of the 1923 Bickle chemical engine and its significance to Caledon Fire and Emergency Services. 

Soares says that “public art is an important part of Caledon's approach to community revitalization.”

“It is central to our placemaking efforts to have residents engage in and with their community spaces. We approach each project with the revitalization of spaces in mind, beautification, mitigation of vandalism, or celebrating our heritage. The arts are an important avenue of community building. Projects like this invite residents to learn about their community's past, to visit spaces they might not normally visit, and to engage with the unique talents of Caledon's artists and arts communities.”