Multicomplex taking shape
New station in Canning complex will bring multiple benefits to fire department
After nine years of planning and fundraising, the new home of the Canning Fire Department and Village of Canning offices is beginning to take shape.
Deputy fire chief Jeff Skaling said with the building now rooftight, work on the interior of the Canning multi-complex is well underway. Plumbing is being installed and the sprinkler system is going in.
Skaling said there were a few delays getting started but ground was broken in September and they’re pretty much on schedule and on budget with the $2.5-million project.
He said the fire department is pleased with progress made to date by contractor Roscoe Construction. The projected completion date is June.
The complex will include a new fire station for the Canning Fire Department, Village of Canning administration offices, a community hall, boardroom, exercise room and a full kitchen. The complex will also house a generator and will serve as an emergency community comfort centre in the event of an extended power outage, for example.
Skaling said the fire department would have a modern facility all on one level. There’s not a lot of elbowroom in the current hall for the department’s 40 members. This will change with the move to the new station, which will have enough space for 52.
“We haven’t done much in the way of recruitment drives because we don’t have the space currently in the old station to house people,” Skaling said.
There will also be more space for emergency vehicles to manoeuvre. Skaling said the current station is “exceptionally cramped” and it’s dangerous to move vehicles in and out. Vehicles occasionally incur bumps and scraps along the doors or walls.
“We try and avoid that but when it’s that tight it’s kind of inevitable,” Skaling said.
The spacious new station will have one drive-through bay, which will make for easier and safer parking and mobilization of the approximately 24-foot-long special operations trailer. This contains high-angle rope rescue equipment, water rescue gear, an all-terrain vehicle and other equipment.
“When we currently back it into the station, we have to back it into a very tight spot and it’s very challenging to do it,” Skaling said. The task requires two spotters.
He said the current hall has served them very well but it’s beginning to show its age and firefighters are looking forward to the move.
The new complex will be fully accessible with wide doors, low thresholds and no stairs. This will be a huge improvement for community members with mobility issues.
Skaling said the former Cornwallis District High School property on J. Jordan Road is a convenient location for the facility, in close proximity to the schools and arena. like us on facebook facebook.com/pages/ kingscountynews