Victoria, BC— The Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (Fire District) and the Capital Regional District (CRD) have agreed to establish a joint working group to make recommendations to their respective organizations regarding both a new public safety building incorporating a CRD Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as well as the repurposing of the existing Ganges Fire Hall.
Currently, both the existing CRD Emergency Centre and the Ganges Fire Hall are in buildings which are seismically unsound, provide inadequate storage and fail to meet Worker's Compensation Board standards for both employee and volunteer safety.
“While the Ganges Fire Hall will no longer be used for its original purpose, this centrally located downtown property still holds significant value,” said Fire Board Chair Per Svendsen. “It will be kept as a public asset and redeveloped so that the community can continue to benefit from this location. Sale proceeds will go towards the Fire District's longstanding goal of building a new, “work safe”, fire hall that meets all modern regulatory standards.”
CRD Director Gary Holman stated, “By working together, we can achieve, more cost effectively, the building of a new public safety building that includes a co-located EOC, as well as retain the existing fire hall and site as important public assets in the centre of Ganges.”
New Fire Hall/ Public Safety Building
The Fire Board and the CRD will work together on the development of a new facility at 55 Lower Ganges Rd., near Brinkworthy, on land donated to the Fire District in 2013. It is centrally located and provides adequate space for both a new fire hall and Emergency Operations Centre and offers much improved vehicle access and parking space. Design and cost sharing terms for the shared space are now under negotiation.
Existing Ganges Fire Hall
The Fire District will grant the CRD an option to purchase or lease the Ganges Fire Hall site for fair market value, with the price and other terms of purchase to be negotiated. If the site is purchased by the CRD, it will most likely be re-purposed with a focus on a public food market and related uses.
For more information on how the CRD and the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District will work together on this initiative please review the Memo of Understanding.
Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employersand Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Karla Campbell, Senior Manager
Salt Spring Island Administration
Tel: 250.538.4300
Cell: 250.550.7070