Temporary fire hall in Waverley West park gets pushback

A temporary fire paramedic station set to be built in a Waverley West park is facing opposition.

The large suburb requires a hall to cut down on response times, but the land available for a long-term station is not yet ready for development.

In order to get emergency service in the area sooner, a temporary hall is set to be built on a corner in Eaglewood Park. The green space has a jungle gym, soccer pitch, picnic area and outdoor rink.

The move has upset a number of area residents who are appealing the plan at Winnipeg City Hall. In a series of memos, the residents raise concerns about the impact on the park, the proximity to houses, and the traffic and noise that comes with a fire paramedic hall.

Ryan Zastre lives across the street and says his toddler and many other neighbourhood children use the park, especially in the summer.

“No word of a lie, sometimes (there are) hundreds of people in the park hanging out, relaxing,” said Zastre

He is not part of the appeal, but shares the concerns.

“On any given night you hear sirens at all hours of the night, so to increase that is not ideal, and obviously the safety concern for the park,” said Zastre.

In a report, the city says the temporary hall is only needed for the next three to five years, but will address the urgent need for fire and ambulance service in Waverley West.

It says the park land is the best possible site as it's connected to paved roads and the needed sewer and water.

The building will be one storey, 4,000 to 5,000 square feet, with the entire footprint taking up an acre once vehicle access and parking are included. The report also says there will be two bays, with likely one fire truck and one ambulance.

Zastre said his community desperately needs a fire paramedic station. He just wishes the short-term solution were somewhere else, and that emergency services for the large suburb had been figured out years ago.

“As a taxpayer and a homeowner, it's not like this all just popped up out of nowhere," he said. "The planning could have been looked at a little bit more closely."

The appeal is set for next week. Depending on what happens at the hearing, the modular station could be operational later this year.