Burns Lake Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department might be able to move to its new location, as early as spring of 2024, now that the village has managed to secure a building location for the new fire hall.
According to Sheryl Worthing, the CAO of the village, the village secured the former Moonlight Garage building at 141 Highway 35, for $485,000.00, for the new fire hall.
“The proposed timeline for the new fire hall is 15 months after funding for the renovations is secured. If we are successful with our grant application, we could be ready to move in by spring of 2024,” she said.
The Village is currently applying for a Canada Community Building Fund grant which will not be awarded until late in 2022, or possibly in early 2023. If the Village is unsuccessful with its grant application, it will have to seek funding through reserve accounts in future year budgets.
The final cost of the renovation remains unknown until the project is put out to tender
“The current building is 50 years old and was not built with modern design elements. The bays are too small for modern fire apparatus, there is no storage space, and not enough room for training or lockers for the size of the municipalities fire fighting force,” said Worthing. “Several deficiencies were previously identified in a BC Fire Commissioner’s report which will all be addressed in the new hall design.”
Worthing added that while at this time, the Village had no plans to renovate the old hall, future renovations may happen to utilize the space for expansion of the Village office, including records storage.