Editor's note: For clarity, this article was published on the morning of Jan. 28, hours before Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini was declared missing.
Confusing members of the grassroots Beaver Lake Fire Services Committee, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini announced on Friday that he plans to buy a fire truck and water rescue craft.
“Will donate it to the Beaver Lake area,” he wrote in a Friday evening Facebook post.
“I will buy and pay for it myself from our Independent Private Citizen Group. We have no affiliation with the City of Greater Sudbury at all.”
Sudbury.com reached out to Vagnini by phone on Saturday, but a voice on his answering machine said he is “currently unavailable and is on disability due to some recent health issues.”
Despite what his answering machine indicated, Vagnini appeared to have been active on Saturday. The Sudbury Freedom Convoy Facebook page published an image of him on Saturday holding a Canadian flag at their weekly rally outside of Bell Park.
A phone message, Facebook message and email were sent to Vagnini, which have not been returned. This story will be updated if Vagnini responds.
The city councillor’s pledge to buy a fire truck and water rescue craft was “a complete surprise” to the Beaver Lake Fire Services Committee, representative Brenda Salo told Sudbury.com.
“We have no part of that,” she added, noting that Vagnini’s pledge “is not doing us any favours.”
Beaver Lake already has an emergency services station, a fire truck and a group of community members actively recruiting volunteer members to keep the station operational.
Although the Beaver Lake emergency services station was slated to close as part of sweeping changes initially proposed, the community came out in support of keeping it open.
In response, city council voted in June 2023 to keep the station open, pending they’re able to “meet the average number of volunteers for all stations within one year.”
It remains to be seen what the average number is at that time, but last year’s average was 12.8 members, and the target is for each station to have at least 15 members.
Salo said the committee is still working hard to achieve this 15-member goal.
They currently have two active members, four in training and four waiting in the wings to enter this year’s round of training.
Although she said they’re not going to meet the June deadline to bring in enough members, her committee will be asking for an extension and are confident they end up hitting the mark.
While Vagnini’s pledge appears to come out of left field, it’s not entirely unheard of.
Earlier this month, Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée stepped in to request the city cancel the proposed sale of the old Skead volunteer fire rescue boat.
“There’s merit there in having further conversations about an alternative use for that boat, because it’s an expensive piece of equipment,” Labbée told Sudbury.com at the time. “We’re open to having a conversation about what that (boat’s use) might look like.”
Details are still being worked out, but she said a community effort was underway to create an as-yet undefined safety program on Lake Wanapitei.
In response to Vagnini’s announcement via Facebook on Friday, Labbée posted a message indicating that she’d be happy to share what she’s learned about the effort in Skead thus far.
“It could possibly be something that Beaver Lake could adopt,” she wrote. “Another Win-Win and a result of looking outside the box with a Can-Do attitude.”
Alongside heaps of praise from community members who applauded Vagnini’s generosity in response to his Facebook post, some commenters had questions.
One commenter asked whether a community-led emergency response unit separate from the municipality might draw volunteers away from the Beaver Lake station and result in it closing.
“Will you also purchase the yearly insurance, which will be quite substantial in case of lawsuits in the future, and the cost of mechanical maintenance?” another commenter asked. “You can purchase the equipment, but there is more to this than just the purchase price.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
