Powell River Fire Rescue chief Terry Peters has indicated that the passing of the assent vote [referendum] on the fire hall is an incredibly positive direction for the community.
It was a close vote, with 2,450 for the new fire hall and 2,417 against.
Peters said as the campaign for a new fire hall proceeded and momentum was happening, he heard a lot of support for the project. He said the vote was close, but voters did side with the new facility.
The process of moving forward with a new fire hall has taken many years, but the passage of the assent vote is a vital component for moving forward with emergency preparedness, said Peters.
“It’s not just about the fire department, it’s about the community as a whole,” he added. “In particular, I want to thank everyone who showed up to vote, and most particularly, those who spent the time to be educated on what they were actually voting for.
“We had a campaign out there, we had a website, we had Participate Powell River, and our open houses got better and better. We had some people asking some really good questions.”
Peters said he was a junior firefighter 28 years ago when the initiative to procure a new fire hall began. He said he has spoken to some of the past fire chiefs who have reached out to him and they are incredibly pleased this page has finally been turned.
“It’s gone on far too long, but then again, as we’ve all acknowledged, the work is not over,” added Peters. “I’m incredibly optimistic with this community’s support and with the direction for financing to move forward, that we will be in a very good position for any grant opportunities that will be available for our community. That wasn’t available 28 years ago.
“We found out last year after our committee had met that we missed grant opportunities because we weren’t prepared. With community support and financing behind us, we could go right to the top of the list. It paints a good picture for us that we care about our emergency services.”
Peters said the fire department’s staff is happy that electors supported the fire hall.
“We’re excited to move on and provide the best community services with the tools, the staff and the future facility to help everybody,” he added.
The new fire hall will allow the fire department to do its job more safely and efficiently, according to the fire chief.
Open door policy
Peters added that for people who want to know more about the fire department and its services, the doors are always open, if people want to see what the department is working in and living in. He said none of the critics have come to the station and talked to him, but they are welcome to do so.
“We have lots of information we want to share with everybody, whether they voted for or against,” said Peters. “We’re all a community and we want to protect everybody. We want to move forward and make sure we have the best ability to do that.”
Peters said now that the referendum has passed, it is up to the new city council to move the project forward.
“There’s a lot on council’s plate that’s coming through,” said Peters, “but I’m excited to have conversations with our new council.”
At an all-candidates meeting prior to the municipal election, mayor-elect Ron Woznow said he thinks the city should put the new fire hall on hold until it can ascertain a better understanding of its financial position.
“We’ve got some serious research to do before we pursue this,” added Woznow at the event hosted by Powell River Chamber of Commerce on October 3.
Peters said a lot of hard work had gone into the project; the city had formed a committee that spent a lot of time doing the research and understanding the process. Finding a location for the new fire hall was an important part of the process, as was the assent vote question, he added.
Peters said this is the community’s facility, and not the “Terry Peters Taj Mahal,” as it has been branded by some in the community.
“I’ve always had a little chuckle that people called it the Terry Peters Taj Mahal because I’ve said many times, Terry Peters doesn’t design fire halls,” said Peters. “As a fire chief, I get it, we’re in that position, and sometimes you have to wear the brunt of humour and comments.
“At the end of the day, this is the community’s fire hall and the firefighters are happy we can move forward for the community. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure it is suitable and that we are going to get the best emergency services facility bang for your buck.”
