The Firefighters #314 Fraternal Benefit Society
What is the Purpose of the Society?
- To unite fraternally and thereby create a greater feeling of compassion and understanding amongst the present and retired professional Firefighters in Vancouver and Burnaby.
- To aid and assist members, widows, dependants and orphans of the members of the Society as may be determined from time to time by the Society.
- To stimulate and promote closer unity and co-operation between the organizations of the Professional Firefighters and the General Public in Vancouver and Burnaby, thereby increasing the Status, Image and Public Influence of the Professional Firefighter.
- To promote, encourage and support Professional Firefighters' athletic, benevolent, charitable, and philanthropic endeavours and participation in the community.
- To receive and maintain a fund or funds and to apply all or part of the principal and income therefrom, from time to time, in furtherance of the objectives of the Society.
History
In 1952, about 30 Vancouver Firefighters, who were veterans of the Army, Navy & Air Force Pompier Unit #314, proposed to form a Social Club to benefit the Vancouver Firefighters’ Athletic Club.
In 1962, the Society was formed to control real property for Firefighters. A constitution with bylaws was drawn up, then registered in Victoria.
The start for the sale of Debentures were sold to Firefighters in Vancouver and Burnaby in 1963. This helped to finance the purchase of the property at 6493 Bonsor Ave. $47,900 was raised through the sale of Debentures in three separate issues at $100 each. 438 Vancouver Firefighters, 13 Burnaby Firefighters and the Vancouver Retired Firefighters Association bought them. Once purchased, the property was leased to the Army, Navy, Air Force Pompier Unit #314 on a 10-year lease.
In 1964, $9,800 was collected with a second round of Debentures to pay back Firefighter John Brown, who purchased the residential property next to the club. Brown wanted to prevent others from leveraging this property against the Society. He was paid back in full in 1966, when a third and final round of Debentures, raising $12,100, was used to pay off the residential property mortgage.