Fernie mayor Nic Milligan is pleased to see the future fire hall come one step closer to reality.
In the last meeting, city council decided to put the building at 1500 5th Avenue.
“It’s closer to the highway, it’s in what can be described as a hub for our emergency services, being near our police station, the Elk Valley Hospital, and the BC Ambulance station,” said Milligan. “It also allows for co-uses that can be built in parallel or at a later time.”
Milligan said the construction will use a portion of Prentice Park.
“We recognize that it will have an impact on park users. We fully intend to work with those users to address their concerns and make sure they can enjoy their outdoor recreation in the future,” said Milligan.
The project comes after Fernie’s fire department moved out of the old building and into the city’s previous public works yard.
“In 2022, the old Fire Hall at 692 3rd Ave was decommissioned due to significant issues with the facility structure and function and the inability of the site and structure to meet current requirements for a fire hall,” said city officials.
Milligan said there is still plenty of work to do before shovels break ground.
“We will meet with internal and external user groups to brief them on the selection and work with user groups who will be impacted to identify opportunities for enhancing existing infrastructure,” said Milligan.
City staff hopes the new fire hall will be operational by 2026.
Previous: Fernie decides on location for new fire hall (Jan. 25, 2024)