The Mayor for Ritchot is calling it a "huge" announcement for his municipality.
Chris Ewen says our provincial government has announced $1.3 million in funding towards the construction of a new fire hall in Ile des Chenes.
"We are very happy, we're ecstatic and we can't thank the province enough," says Chris Ewen.
Earlier this year, Ritchot Fire Chief Scott Weir told Council that the need for a new fire hall in that community is not going away. At the time, Ewen stated that constructing a new fire hall in Ile des Chenes was something that he wanted to see movement on before his term came to an end. The Ritchot Mayor is now getting his wish.
Ewen admits that he had no idea that their Fire Chief and Deputy Chief were putting together a grant application. He notes shortly after the application was submitted; they were approved.
According to Ewen, their existing hall in Ile des Chenes is old.
"It's been used to the point where it's time to retire it, maybe use it for a different service for the community of some sort, we're not sure," says Ewen. "But we need more space, we need more advanced equipment in there, training opportunities."
He notes the new hall will be built with growth in mind, ensuring there is adequate space for new equipment in the future.
Ewen says they are still in the process of choosing a site for the new fire hall. Though they have talked about tearing down the existing building and constructing the new hall on the same site, Ewen says that is not the best option, noting they really need more space. He notes they would like to create a training centre, advancing their ability to train volunteer firefighters in a larger space. Plus, they need a hall that is large enough to house their tools and equipment for years to come.
Ewen says they have a couple of different sites picked out, noting that ideally, they would like to stay close to where they are located today.
"I think all of the Council and the fire group as well want to see this stay close to the current hall, just for logistics," explains Ewen. "It's close enough to Grande Pointe, close enough to the town of Ile des Chenes where the response time is phenomenal."
Ewen says though he is not sure what the total cost of this project will be, his guess is that the $1.3 million from the province should cover between 30 and 40 per cent of it. He notes when they built their new hall in Ste. Agathe, it cost about $2 million. However, that was seven years ago and Ewen says costs have only increased.
According to Ewen, the remaining funds will come from the municipality. This could either be through reserves or a tax levy. He notes when it comes to fire protection, they make sure that costs are shared by the entire municipality and not only by one community.
"It's a work together feeling but it helps reduce the burden of tax when there are more people invested in it," he explains. "Because they are all getting that service."
Ewen says he would like to see shovel in the ground as soon as they can acquire the land. His hope is that the fire hall is complete by mid-2026 at the latest.
"I'm so thankful for the province and the Government of Manitoba for coming through and helping us out with this project," he adds. "This is a big win for us."