Plans for a new fire station and potential upgrades to an operations centre have been brought forward to Wilmot council, two projects with an estimated price tag of $18.4 million for the local township.
It stems from a report drawn up by staff and presented to council, looking into the feasibility of the listed upgrades and expansions in the township.
The first of which, the new fire station, would be headed for New Hamburg and looks to be a replacement for Fire Station 3, located at 121 Huron St.
In the report, staff stated that it wouldn’t make sense to carry forward with continued upkeep at the site, saying it would be more worthwhile and cost-effective to simply move the station to a new site.
“This is really an initial step of a feasibility study of the site at 30 Neville St., both for the parks and facilities administration centre, but also for the siting of potentially Station 3 and looking kind of down the road at a new fire station,” said Director of Community Services, Chris Catania.
Staff said they’d already been working towards a longer-term option for several years, and back in 2023, Wilmot council agreed to purchase the former Nachurs Alpine building at 30 Neville St. in New Hamburg, with the hopes of using it for both a new fire station as well as the parks and facilitiesoperations centre.
“The preferred expansion concept strategically utilizes the property’s multiple accessways, allowing both departments to maintain uninterrupted daily operations,” the report stated.
The report showed that the best option wouldn’t be to start anew at the site on Neville, but rather to use it as a base for the project, saying it would allow for “clear separation between public, staff and emergency response functions, and maximizing efficient use of available site area with minimal functional redundancies.”
It said it would allow for those upgrades and expansions for the operations centre would be able to progress even before work on the fire station would begin.
“The proposed expansion would provide the township with a modern fire station capable of supporting existing and planned staffing, operational, and training needs.”
The new fire station would include larger fire truck bays, dedicated facilities for the storing and cleaning of hazardous gear, as well as a multi-purpose training room.
The funds needed to cover the $18.4 million price tag would be incorporated into the township’s 10-year capital plan, according to the report, pending recommendations from the fire services master plan update slated for 2027.
The full timeline is not currently known for when the development would be completed, with further plans set to be brought forward later this year.