Beaver Lake and Skead volunteer fire stations safe ... for now

Previously on the chopping block, both the Beaver Lake and Skead volunteer fire stations will now remain open, the city’s elected officials decided during Tuesday night’s meeting.

That is, at least for the time being.

During Tuesday night’s marathon four-hour city council meeting, a few sweeping changes to the city’s collection of emergency services infrastructure were approved.

The most contentious in a series of changes recommended by city staff, which were flagged during a series of public meetings held in recent months, were those affecting the Skead and Beaver Lake stations.

The Skead station has been closed since a vehicle backed into a pillar located between its two garage doors and damaged the building in early 2022.

Under the city-recommended plan, the Skead station would close permanently and consolidate with the Falconbridge and Garson stations at a new ideal location in Garson.

The community came together earlier this year to support keeping the Skead station open, and city council approved a motion on Tuesday for the building to be repaired “immediately.”

The Skead station’s subsequent renovation will be dependent on it achieving “adequate average staffing levels for volunteers in stations at the time.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée opposed the initial motion on the table, which would have required at least 15 volunteer firefighters to sign up in Skead, and for the station to achieve an adequate participation rate (at least four responding per call). In the event these levels were not achieved, it would consolidate with a new station in Garson.

Although optimistic these targets can be achieved (a recent volunteer drive conducted by community members yielding several prospects), Labbée called the requirement “unfair” because other stations don’t need a prescribed number of members to remain open.

Greater Sudbury Fire Services Deputy Chief Nathan Melin noted that 14 recruits from Skead have been invited to proceed with physical testing.

The Skead station currently has one volunteer member.

Skead is an important station to remain open, she said, as it serves a large area, including the popular recreational area of Lake Wanapitei.

“I just want people to understand that Skead is a one-road town,” Labbée said. “There’s one road in and one road out.”

The Beaver Lake station, located at the western edge of Greater Sudbury, was originally slated to consolidate into the Whitefish station, but a successful motion by Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini, amended by Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc, is keeping it open.

In the motion, it’s noted that efforts will be expanded to recruit and retrain volunteers at the Beaver Lake station, and that if they fail to meet the “average number of volunteers for all stations within one year,” an automatic aid agreement will be negotiated with Nairn Centre.

The Beaver Lake station currently has four volunteer members.

Although a recent recruitment effort saw three people sign up to volunteer in Beaver Lake, Melin noted that only one responded to an invitation for physical testing.

With Beaver Lake long failing to meet the target minimum requirement of 15 volunteer members (the highest level they reached in the past 20 years was 11 in 2012), Nicholls openly questioned whether they would achieve their goal.

Vagnini countered that a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom attended Tuesday’s meeting wearing shirts that read “Beaver Lake is on Fire,” were on the case.

These changes are part of broader proposed changes to emergency services infrastructure in Greater Sudbury, and will be baked into the city’s 2024-27 capital budgets, which city council is expected to debate later this year.

Tuesday’s meeting dealt with some of the proposed changes to emergency services infrastructure. Some proposed changes were pushed to the July 11 city council meeting when the city’s elected officials failed to reach unanimous consent to proceed past four hours on Tuesday night.

Sudbury.com will publish a more in-depth rundown of whatever changes are approved, including their potential financial implications, following the July 11 meeting.

The following resolutions were approved on June 27:

New fire and paramedic station in Garson:
- That staff be directed to construct a new Fire and Paramedic station in Garson at an ideal location with costs to be included in the draft 2024 -2027 capital budgets;
- And further that after commencing operations from this new station that staff be directed to consolidate the Falconbridge station into the new Garson Station;
- And further that the Falconbridge and old Garson station be closed.
  - Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier voted against this resolution.
Re-open the Skead station:
- That staff be directed to perform repairs necessary to re-open the Skead station immediately and that the costs for a renovation be put forward in future draft capital plans based on adequate average staffing levels for volunteers in stations at the time.
  - Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc voted against this resolution.
Renovate the Val Therese station:
- That staff be directed to renovate the Val Therese station with costs to be included in the 2024 – 2027 capital budget
- And further that after the completion of these renovations that the Val Caron and Hanmer stations be consolidated into the Val Therese station;
- And further that the Val Caron and Hanmer stations be closed after consolidation into the Val Therese station.
  - Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 3 Coun Gerry Montpellier voted against this resolution.
Permanently close the Vermillion Lake station:
- That staff be directed to consolidate the Vermillion Lake station into the Dowling station;
- And further that the Dowling station be renovated with costs to be included in future draft capital budgets;
- And further that the Vermillion Lake station be closed effective immediately.
  - Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée, Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier voted against this resolution.
Keep the Beaver Lake station open
- That staff be directed to leave the Beaver Lake station open
- And further that staff be directed to expand efforts to recruit and retain volunteers at the Beaver Lake station with a requirement to meet the average number of volunteers for all stations within one year and that an automatic aid agreement be negotiated at that time if required.
  - Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh and Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre voted against this resolution.

A handful of resolutions still need to be voted on, including:

Direction to construct a new Minnow Lake station at an ideal location
Renovate the Long Lake station to be used by fire and paramedic services
Renovate the Van Horne station to be used by fire and paramedic services

It’s proposed that future capital budgets beyond 2027 include:

Renovate Leon Street (New Sudbury) station
Renovate Azilda station
Renovate Chelmsford station
Renovate Levack station
Renovate Capreol station
- Once renovation to Capreol fire station is completed, relocate Capreol paramedic station (Young Street) into Capreol fire station and close Capreol paramedic station.
Build new Wahnapitae/Coniston station
- Once construction of the new Wahnapitae station is completed, consolidate existing Wahnapitae and Coniston stations into the new station location, and close the existing Wahnapitae and Coniston stations.
Build new Lively station
- Once construction of the new Lively Station is completed, consolidate existing Waters, Lively, Copper Cliff Stations into the new station location, and close the existing Waters, Lively, Copper Cliff stations.