Street will be named after fallen firefighter

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This article was published 14/08/2010 (5712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The only Brandon firefighter to lose his life in the line of duty will be memorialized at the city’s newest fire hall location.

Fred Brown died while fighting a major blaze at Brandon’s Olympia Cafe in April of 1953. To this day, he remains the city’s only firefighter to be killed while on the job.

Brown’s grandson, Gilbert Bell, had been pushing in recent months to have a road near the new fire hall at 19th Street North and Maple Avenue named after his grandfather.

He recently received word that a bylaw to re-name the short stretch of Maple Avenue from 18th Street North to 19th Street North as Fred Brown Way will be in front of city council next month.

"It’s leading to the fire hall and it will be Fred Brown Way. It’s just wonderful," Bell said. "I couldn’t ask for anything better."

The bylaw’s passage will be mostly procedural, says Mayor Dave Burgess, as members of council have already expressed support for the name change.

"I don’t suspect anything but real support from all councillors," Burgess said. "History is always a lot of interest to people and a source of pride of what you have had happen in your city over the years.

"I think it will be a nice addition to what we have in the city."

Fire Chief Brent Dane called the proposed re-naming an "exciting" tribute to Brown.

"I think it’s a great honour to bestow on his family and I think that it’s a great thing for the city to do to show the respect," Dane said. "It’s kind of exciting that we have an opportunity, with the new firehall, to pay tribute to Brown."

First reading of the name change bylaw is set for Sept. 13, with second and third reading set to follow on Sept. 27.

An official re-naming ceremony for the stretch of road has already been tentatively set for Oct. 4.