Bison Fire Protection

09/24/2025

Every once in a while you come across a little bit of history. This Ansul extinguisher is quite old, but in it’s day would have had an impact on a small fire.

If you find something like this in your travels, or basement remember it probably won’t work, but getting a new extinguisher would be a great addition to any business or home.

There would be nothing worse than the Cabbage Patch Kid getting full of Crown Royal and assuming this antique would work.

08/06/2025

Providing service isn’t always easy or convenient.

We often get asked why our inspections take longer than the “other guy’s”. Renting lifts and coordinating getting them to site is one thing. Investing in our technicians to ensure they have working from heights, confined spaces and many other types for safety training takes time. It truly is an investment in both you and them.

We believe you’d rather have people who are safety trained along with training in the products we service in your building.

Doing it right always takes more time because there are no true short cuts when it comes to life safety. That’s why your safety is non-negotiable.

07/14/2025

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming our extended family from Bison Fire Protection (Manitoba) to Toronto! Together, we visited Mircom, one of our most trusted partners and a leader in fire alarm systems and life safety technologies.

From exploring their cutting-edge facility to getting first-hand updates on the latest innovations, it was a day full of collaboration, learning, and shared passion for fire safety.

At Onyx, being part of the Onyx Fire Family means staying ahead, connected, informed, and ready to deliver the best protection possible.

Big thanks to our partners at Bison and Mircom for making it an inspiring visit. Together, we’re raising the standard in fire protection across Canada.

06/09/2025

We are extremely proud of Marcel Labelle our sprinkler manager.

Marcel has been a fire fighter in his hometown for many years. He’s currently in Flin Flon fighting the wildfires burning in Northern Manitoba.

He truly exemplifies what it means to give back to the community through extremely hard and dangerous work.

Stay safe Marcel.

01/29/2025

It was great to be recognized by The Winnipeg Free Press last Friday. They did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Bison both past and present.

Reading the article the three things that have always been important to Bison remain that way today. Customers, staff, and constantly looking forward to improvements and best practices.

Protecting your life, building, and business is why the quality of your fire protection is non-negotiable.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2025/01/23/punching-way-over-our-weight

There’s no toilet, sink, mirror or towels in the powder room at Bison Fire Protection, but there are a lot of fire extinguishers. Dry chemical extinguishers are filled with powder that smothers fires...

12/18/2024

As winter sets in several things adjust to the colder temperatures. From the dog’s fur getting thicker, to the appearance of ugly Christmas sweaters, or even the air in your car tires condensing causing alarms to go off and the need for an air pressure top up.

I’ve seen some incredible uses for a fire extinguisher, but using one to fill your low tire is a new one for me.

If you want to know more about using and extinguishers or what type for different fires, we offer training.

Don’t be this guy!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-w4et0wiYPM

11/21/2024

As we move towards the colder month’s we need to be aware of the hazards of the season. Increased furnace, or fireplace usage are a couple but not all. Shorter days encourage increased candle use and opportunities for pets to knock them over.

At the office boilers are being fired up, and outside housekeeping might begin to slip as those pesky pallets that nobody wants start to stack up. Even the smokers don’t seem to stray as far from the building as they do in the warmer months.

These are just a few things that can increase the winter risk. I haven’t even begun talking about electrical issues brought on by rodents looking for a warm place to stay.

It takes a few minutes to speak with the family or work teams and stay vigilant.

The life you save could be yours.

11/06/2024

We sell a lot of fire extinguishers, and I mean a lot. I often tell people “Bison running out of new extinguishers would be like McDonalds running out of hamburgers”. It just doesn’t happen.

That said, for all the extinguishers that have passed through our doors I’m still amazed at how many people don’t know how to use them. It’s the most common conversation I have when on the fire topic. Especially from people who have had fires and panicked. Another favorite saying around extinguisher use is “The difference between panic and action is training”.

Don’t be the person who crushed the handles together because they didn’t know to pull the pin first, or the person who turned the extinguisher upside down to get under an obstruction only to have all nitrogen and no powder. As I said, I’ve heard many stories and most are entertaining, but a few are tragic.

We have been offering extinguisher training for years. To find out more please get in touch. It’s the call that could save your life.

10/30/2024

As a member of the Council of Manitoba I sit on a couple of committees. Through the work we do on the Community Wellness committee we were recently given a tour of First Winnipeg.

Home First Winnipeg is a non-profit organization that provides housing, meals and support services to individuals who have experienced homelessness. We believe in a housing first approach…that is, regardless of the challenges that people may face with addiction, mental health or other issues, each of us deserves a safe home.

Home First welcomes and respects tenants and employees of all backgrounds regardless of ancestry, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, marital or family status, gender identity, sexual orientation and physical or mental disability.

During the tour I noticed they needed one more thing to make them perfect. This week I donated a 5lb fire extinguisher. I think it’s the “cherry on top” of the very good fire protection already existing.

If you have a moment take a look at their website, they are doing good things for our community and would appreciate your support.
https://homefirstwinnipeg.com/

10/23/2024

I recently attended a couple meetings with Mayor Scott Gillingham. He spoke in depth on several issues that our city faces. Some of the more critical topics were.

· Construction and permitting
· The wastewater treatment plant
· Homelessness
· Getting a revenue deal done with the province
· Critical services such as police, fire, and paramedics
· A long-term vision on economic development

I found the discussions to be open with an understanding that there is much to do on all these issues. His collaborative approach to building working relationships with the right partners for the right issue, and his acknowledgment of the limitations he and the city have gave me confidence that with time and hard work change will happen.

He left many of us with the feeling that we can all be instruments of change and encouraged us to do so. That said, I encourage you to find the issue that’s closest to your heart and add your support to making that happen. Lip service or shaking your cane at the TV isn’t enough.

When you get involved we all enjoy living in a stronger more vibrant community.

10/03/2024

Doug was our first IT guy, and a gentle giant. A very considerate person who took pride in his job. He had started as a data entry person, but quickly out grew that role. His keyboard skills were amazing. Our IT needs were growing and Doug had a strong interest in IT and all things electronic. He flourished in the role and made all of our lives much better.

He loved playing guitar and was very accomplished, but more than just music he loved the tech in guitars borrowing my home built guitar for a couple weeks and giving feedback on improvements that I could (and did) make. He was right.

He is missed by the entire Bison family.

Doug Wiebe’s deep connection with music, particularly guitar, was a cornersto… Marcie Wilson needs your support for Honoring Doug Wiebe's Legacy Through Music

09/25/2024

There are many things that happen around us to make us proud of the community we work and live in.

With Orange Shirt Day quickly approaching it was nice to attend a Business Council of MB (BCM) event yesterday at Princess Auto Stadium. While meeting some players was very cool, the information shared at dinner was even better.

Did you know; The BCM’s Indigenous Education Awards program has grown to 400 awards, with over 850 applicants! This is huge for Indigenous youth.

I had the pleasure of sitting beside two indigenous medical school students who shared with me how the awards help make their lives better. I sit on the BCM’s Economic Reconciliation Committee, it’s very rewarding to see the work we do have such a positive and direct impact.

As you enjoy a day with the family on the 30th remember that reconciliation comes in many forms. Often the small gestures are more meaningful than grand gestures. Let’s all do our part.

PS: I've often heard about locker room antics. Now I know why Zach and Dalton wanted to stand on a couple 5 gallon pails. We had a few laughs, but the best part came at dinner.