Winnipeg Beach needs to replace two fire trucks, so it launched a lottery

A rural fire department is getting creative in its efforts to raise money to replace two fire trucks that have reached the end of the line – and it could mean a big win for one lucky Manitoba.

After decades of fighting fires in Winnipeg Beach, the rural fire department says it needs to retire its 1993 water pumper and 1979 water tanker.

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“Everything has an expiry date,” said Dave Schellenberg, the department’s fire chief. “Fire apparatus is good for 20 years, maybe 25 years, but really, at that point, we should be looking at replacing it.”

But replacing the trucks comes with a hefty price tag – around $800,000 per truck. Each one is custom designed and built to meet a community's unique needs.

A Winnipeg Beach fire truck is pictured at the town's fire hall on Oct. 2, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)

The department was able to secure a provincial grant that covers the cost of one truck, but the department is on the hook for the rest. It’s a cost that would typically be covered through a tax hike, Schellenberg said, but his crew wanted to avoid that.

“We don’t want to raise taxes – that’s the bottom line,” Schellenberg said. “So this is kind of our initiative to say, ‘hey, we don't want to raise taxes. We're going to try to do it ourselves and try to raise that money with support.’”

The department has launched a Manitoba-wide lottery to raise the funds. It’s called the Take-A-Year-Off Lottery. It comes with a grand prize of $52,000 or $1,000 a week for an entire year.

The lottery launched in mid-September, with the final draw set for Nov. 2.

More details about the lottery can be found on the Winnipeg Beach Fire Department Facebook page.

The department hopes to have the new trucks up and running by fall of 2026.