Caledon Turning Old Bolton Fire Hall into Community Space

A new community space is taking shape in downtown Bolton in the Town of Caledon. 

The Bolton Fire Hall is a two-storey, 10,000 square-foot fire hall. It was constructed in 1988 and operated until 2019, when the Bolton fire department relocated to a new hall on Highway 50. For the next few years, the facility was used for storage and bus parking. 

In 2021, the Town worked with the Bolton Downtown Revitalization Task Force to brainstorm a new long-term vision for the building. There were lengthy discussions about service gaps in the downtown core. As part of determining a best fit for the building, the Town of Caledon rented a temporary space in the downtown core to test various programs and partnership opportunities that could be transferred to the fire hall once renovations were completed. 

Caledon is investing $3.5 million in Canada Community-Building Funding into what will soon be the Humber River Centre, a state-of-the-art multi-use community space that will be both sustainable and accessible. 

The centre will offer spaces for use by community groups and citizens, including an innovation hub/maker space, a commercial kitchen, meeting rooms and a multi-use room for events, programming and farmers’ markets. 

Energy efficiency is a big part of the project. The centre will have LED lighting, more insulative windows, doors and roofing, on-demand electric water heaters and additional energy recovery elements. It will also be fully accessible with an elevator, accessible washrooms on the first and second floors, power-operated doors and audible alarms.

Outside, new trees and bee-friendly plants are being added to help absorb excess rainwater and keep the climate comfortable for visitors year-round. 

This addition to Bolton will encourage tourist visits to the downtown and provide a much-needed community spaces to help fill service gaps within the community.