Over $2 million more needed for temporary fire hall in Waverley West: report

The price tag on a temporary fire hall in Waverley West might be going up by millions of dollars.

Winnipeg’s community services standing policy committee has asked the city to approve nearly $2.7 million in additional funding for the modular fire hall, bringing the total cost to just short of $6.9 million.

According to a city report, the price went up since the initial estimate because of supply chain disruptions and rising material costs.

Tom Wallace, deputy chief responsible for 911 communications and support services with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS), says they’ve run into similar issues on other construction projects.

“It’s not entirely a surprise,” he told CTV News Winnipeg in an interview Thursday.

He notes the additional cost is well worth it, as the area it will serve is large and densely populated.

“We think that this temporary station is a responsible way for us to get into that community, to be able to provide timely service until such time that we’re able to establish a permanent station,” he said.

The temporary station is set to be built on Eaglewood Drive, and would house a fire engine and crew.

The report notes it is slated to be installed in 2024.

More than a dozen residents previously appealed the location, raising concerns about the impact it could have on the park and traffic, its proximity to homes, and the potential for more noise.

An appeals committee, which included area councillor Janice Lukes, denied the appeal in January, paving the way for the structure.

TEMPORARY FIRE HALL A REUSABLE ASSET: WFPS

Wallace notes WFPS is following a model used in Calgary where temporary stations were installed in quickly growing communities.

Once a permanent fire hall is built, the modular one can be packed up and moved elsewhere.

“This will be an asset for our organization going forward that will enable us to support future construction projects or if there’s a catastrophic failure of a station, we would be able to relocate this modular station to ensure that we can continue to provide service."

Meantime, the city is eyeing the South Winnipeg Recreation Campus land for a permanent station located near Kenaston Boulevard and Bison Drive.

- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger and Jeff Keele