Although less controversial than some of the city’s other fire station consolidations proposed, merging the Waters, Lively and Copper Cliff stations has still raised concerns from residents.
In this case, the concern has to do with the train tracks running between the Lively and Waters stations, and a proposal to consolidate the three services on the north side of the tracks on Anderson Drive. Paramedic services at Waters and Lively would also be consolidated.
During a public consultation meeting at the Waters Fire Station and EMS building on the south side of the tracks on Wednesday evening, area resident Frank Deburger pondered a map of the fire station locations with Sudbury.com.
“To put a station here,” he said, pointing to Anderson Drive, “you’ve got to cross the tracks to get to where we’re standing.”
This, he said, is his main concern with the Waters/Lively/Copper Cliff proposal.
Deburger sat on the Town of Walden’s council for 25 years, and was on council when the Beaver Lake station was built in 1977 next to a municipal garage.
The proposed Beaver Lake station consolidation with Whitefish, located several kilometres east, is of much greater concern than the Lively/Waters/Copper Cliff amalgamation, he said, noting the Lively and Waters stations are only two kilometres apart.
The Copper Cliff station is approximately 10 kilometres east of the proposed new site, but is in a different situation than the Lively and Waters stations.
The Copper Cliff area is currently served first by Sudbury’s downtown career station, city acting Deputy Chief Craig Lawrence told Sudbury.com, with a volunteer crew from the Copper Cliff station arriving on the scene second, as needed.
Downtown firefighter crews typically arrive on-site in less than five minutes in Copper Cliff, he added.
As such, he said most area residents would be unaffected by the closure of the Copper Cliff station. The exception would be area volunteer firefighters, who would now have to drive to the new consolidated fire station in Lively.
The train tracks between the Waters and Lively stations have been on Greater Sudbury Fire Services’ radar, Deputy Chief Nathan Melin told Sudbury.com, noting they’ve determined a train runs four times per day during weekdays and twice per day on weekends.
Trains block the road for an average of between three to five minutes at a time, and Melin said delays would be quite rare.
With money needing to be invested in the aging buildings (the Lively station is 70, the Waters station is 54 and the Copper Cliff station is 50), Melin said consolidating the three stations was determined the best course of action.
Lively couple Henry and Lori Moser told Sudbury.com the question of cost has been top of mind.
“Is it more viable to refurbish this (building)?” Henry asked, in reference to the Waters station.
The city is expected to draft financial estimates in a report to city council on June 27, including the projected costs of:
- Status quo, wherein all existing stations receive the current level of maintenance.
- Existing footprint, where all current stations are repaired and renovated as required to fulfill expectations associated with emergency services legislation and service requirements.
- Changed footprint, where in accordance with the recommendations presented, a combination of renonations and consolidations occur to the city’s fire and paramedic stations.
Holding the meetings now is premature, both Henry and Lori said, adding they won’t know what they support until such time as they know its cost.
Lawrence told Sudbury.com this has been a common point of contention among members of the public during recent meetings.
“People are somewhat frustrated by that,” he said. “It was always our intention to bring it back to council in stages, in pieces, so our next step was always to collect that financial data.”
The public consultation meetings are taking place now, before the finances are known, because that’s what city council wanted.
During the same city council meeting in late January that Mayor Paul Lefebvre requested a financial report on the implications of various options, a motion by Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée passed for the city to initiate the current round of public meetings.
Whether another round of public consultation takes place after these financial variables are known will be up to city council.
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini called attention to himself during the mid-point of Wednesday’s public information session, when he delivered an impromptu speech.
“I do not endorse this at all,” he said, adding that while the city is looking to modernize fire services, various other areas of municipal operations have not been modernized.
Vagnini spoke for approximately two minutes until city communications and community engagement advisor Kelli Sheppard approached him to say his disruption was not appropriate.
Fire and Paramedic Services Chief Joseph Nicholls began walking toward the Ward 2 councillor, which prompted an outburst from Vagnini.
“Don’t come over, don’t say a word to me,” Vagnini yelled in Nicholls’ direction. “I don’t agree with it, and I’m allowed to speak for these people here.”
The Lively station was built in 1953, has 14 volunteers, and carries an annual incident response of 85, for which an average of six volunteer firefighters arrive on site. Their 90th percentile response time has been 12 minutes and 35 seconds.
The Waters station was built in 1969, has 20 volunteers, and carries an annual incident response of 104, for which an average of six firefighters arrive on site. Their 90th percentile response time has been 16 minutes and 48 seconds.
The Copper Cliff station was built in 1973, has eight volunteers and carries an annual incident response of 16, for which an average of four volunteer firefighters arrive on site. Their 90th percentile response time has been 13 minutes and six seconds. They arrive on the scene as needed, after the career crew from Sudbury’s downtown crew.
This was the final in a series of public information/consultation sessions the city has hosted in recent weeks. An online survey will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on May 19, and can be accessed by clicking here.
A report on the survey’s findings will be drafted and tabled with city council members for a meeting as early as late June.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
