Fire training tower study in the works
A feasibility study is underway to replace the crumbling
St. Catharines fire training tower, but it’s unlikely a new structure will be built on the existing site.
That’s because the current tower on Renown Road overlooking Twelve Mile Creek is in the vicinity of the historic 19th-century Shickluna Shipyard excavation which began July 18.
“The Shickluna shipyards is out of the question now because there’s the potential for an archeological issue there,” said Acting Fire Chief Jeff McCormick.
A team led by Brock University archeologist Kimberly Monk is searching for the abandoned shipyard — it operated along Twelve Mile Creek from 1838 to 1891 — and related structures such as workers’ cottages.
The project is a first of its kind in Canada and was awarded an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
The old fire training tower, built in 1974 and visible from Highway 406 just north of the Burgoyne Bridge, has a severely sagging floor and major structural issues.
It became unusable in November 2015 and was decommissioned in 2017 after it was deemed cost-prohibitive to fix.
City council agreed in January to include a $1.8-million new tower in its capital budget for 2019.
The training tower is used to conduct live fire training in the city.
Since the current tower has been out of order, St. Catharines fire department recruits have had to go to Fort Erie for live fire training.
The fire department is focusing on other city-owned land in the Merritton area for a build.
McCormick said he’s hoping a feasibility study will be presented to city council in September or October. Any decisions would be made after a public consultation process.