Cowichan Bay Volunteer Fire Rescue

Nik West, Taiji Brand Group

Fire fighters and first responders are there for us when we need them

Marsha Stanley is a long-time Cowichan resident, Chartered Professional accountant, and volunteer Chair of the Cowichan Bay Improvement District

We are fortunate in the Cowichan Valley that many of our fire halls are still run by volunteers who drop everything when we need them.

The Cowichan Bay Volunteer Fire Rescue serves approximately 10,000 residents across parts of Cowichan Station, Koksilah, Cobble Hill, Arbutus Ridge, and Cowichan Bay (Electoral Area D).

Our volunteers work out of a 1977 building that no longer meets WorkSafe BC, BC Building Code or Fire Code requirements. The two biggest issues with the existing hall are that it is likely to collapse in an earthquake and there is nowhere for volunteers to thoroughly decontaminate after exposure to harmful carcinogens.

After years of planning, a new fire hall is planned for completion in 2025. It will be built directly behind the existing hall and designed to withstand significant seismic events. It will also include community space and will be sized to serve our growing population for at least 50 years.

The new fire hall will cost up to $16 Million, which would be borrowed and repaid by property owners over 20 years. The average cost to homeowners would be $354 per year. This June, the Cowichan Bay Improvement District is seeking approval from residents for the new fire hall loan. Approval is sought through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP), a tool commonly used to assess community support. If 10 per cent of eligible property owners in the area served by Cowichan Bay Volunteer Fire Rescue indicate their opposition to the loan, the AAP will not pass; if less than 10% are opposed, the AAP passes and a loan for a new fire hall can proceed. Residents who support a new fire hall do not need to take any action in the AAP.

I know that financial pressures on all of us are increasing, but I ask residents to remember that this is a critical, long-term investment in safety. The longer we wait to build a new hall, the more expensive it will be.

Background information and details about the AAP are available at: www.cowbayfirehall. com/. Duncan Offi ce: #101-126 Ingram Street 1-866-609-9998 www.alistairmacgregor.ndp.ca