New home sought for temporary fire paramedic station

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This article was published 10/06/2022 (1549 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s first modular fire paramedic station will be delayed as the city searches for a new place to put it.

Council has set aside $3 million for the portable facility set to service Waverley West, meant to provide emergency services to the rapidly growing ward, while it awaits a $12.1-million permanent station set to open in 2025.

However, property and planning staff have warned the initial plan to place the modular unit near the permanent station’s site at Kenaston Boulevard and a future portion of Bison Drive would conflict with construction of the South Winnipeg Recreation Campus, which forced the need to seek out other locations, said Tom Wallace, deputy chief of support services for Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

“The procurement of the modular temporary station has been on hold until there’s some certainty that there will be land available where the station will be located,” Wallace told council’s protection and community services committee Friday.

The modular unit was first expected to be delivered in late 2022, and is now expected in early or mid-2023.

The ideal land to house it would offer about an acre of space with available water, waste and power connections, as well as access to key roadways, Wallace said.

The service is now exploring other city-owned lands within Waverley West and an expression of interest for privately owned sites it could lease for the temporary station could be issued, said fire paramedic Chief Christian Schmidt, who doesn’t expect a notable impact on service levels due to the delay.

“We’re keeping very close tabs on this particular project to ensure that we meet our timelines,” he said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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