3 Winnipeg-built fire engines to replace aging vehicles
Posted June 29, 2026 5:39 pm.
Last Updated June 29, 2026 7:25 pm.
Three fire trucks will soon be protecting the same community that built them.
The three Winnipeg-built fire engines are expected to hit the city’s streets later this summer, replacing aging vehicles.
They are the first of 12 vehicles Fort Garry Fire Trucks will build for Winnipeg over the next few years, including a heavy rescue unit.
“Designed by Winnipeggers, built by Winnipeggers, used by Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service to protect Winnipeggers. It’s really a good news story,” said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
Fire officials say replacing aging apparatus before they fail helps improve reliability, while newer trucks also bring enhanced safety features for firefighters responding to emergencies.
“They’re highly technical machinery,” explained Fire and Paramedic Chief Christian Schmidt. “The lighting is important as well; a lot of these vehicles come with increased lighting and it becomes important at our emergency scenes in the nighttime.”
The total cost of the three fire engines was $1.3 million, part of the city’s larger $18 million fleet renewal plan.
“As a council, we have decided… to make the investment required to keep Winnipeggers safe,” Gillingham said. “And so, this is a really important announcement today, but it’s part of an overall bigger picture of the investments we’re making in emergency services.”
Fort Garry Fire Trucks employs about 150 people and builds specialized emergency vehicles for departments across Canada and around the world.
“We recently put trucks into St. John’s, Newfoundland, all the way through to Vancouver Island… We’ve exported to Santiago, Chile, through to the Caribbean, through to China, right through to the Middle East,” said Robert Pike, the company’s national sales manager.
In Winnipeg, the three new fire engines are expected to enter service after crews install Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service equipment and decals.
