qathet Regional District’s finance committee has made recommendations to the regional board to establish contributions for fire service capital asset management.
At the January 7 finance committee meeting, directors considered five motions related to fire engines and fire hall replacement.
The first recommendation was for funding apparatus purchases through an allocation of $600,000 from the community works fund and $200,000 from the Lasqueti Island fire protection service reserve fund, plus reducing the Lasqueti Island Volunteer Fire Department apparatus fleet by one vehicle. The recommendation also included increasing statutory reserve fund contributions from $14,025 per year to $200,000 per year in order to contribute additional funds toward replacement of apparatus and fire halls.
Electoral Area E director and finance committee chair Andrew Fall said he wanted to revise the motion because Lasqueti taxpayers cannot at present afford new trucks or to raise reserves through taxation very quickly. He said his motion was regarding the budget to replace the 1983 engine with a used vehicle at a cost of up to $400,000 in the 2026 budget. According to Fall, that would allow the fire department to purchase a good, used vehicle.
“Ideally, a good, used fire engine would cost significantly less than $400,000, but it is important to give the fire chief room to explore and assess options,” said Fall.
The $400,000 would be made up of $300,000 from community works fund and $100,000 from the island’s fire protection statutory reserve, according to Fall’s motion.
As for the contributions to the statutory reserve, Fall’s recommendation was to increase the allocation from $14,025 to $60,000 toward replacement and/or renovation of apparatus and fire halls. His motion carried unanimously.
The committee then considered increasing the Malaspina fire protection service annual contribution to the statutory reserve from $29,412 to $200,000 per year to contribute additional funds toward fire hall replacement. There was also a recommendation that there be an increase in the statutory reserve from $110,620 to $263,500 per year for purchase and replacement of fire apparatus.
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said he was a supporter of the concept of contributions to reserves, but Area C would be facing unknown costs with the formal service review of the Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department initiated by Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne. Brander was not in favour of the second recommendation regarding fire apparatus.
“I can’t, in good conscience, subject the taxpayers to significant tax increases associated with the fire hall reserve when there are unknown costs in front of us,” said Brander.
The finance committee carried a motion recommending the board consider increasing the Malaspina fire protection service annual contribution to the statutory reserve from $29,412 to $200,000 per year to contribute additional funds toward fire hall replacement.
The next item pertained to the Savary Island Volunteer Fire Department. The finance committee recommended to the board that staff be directed to seek approval from the inspector of municipalities to increase the requisition limit for the service from the Savary Island fire protection service from $0.6363 to $1.110 per $1,000 of assessed value of homes on Savary Island. The proposal is to increase funding toward purchase and replacement of fire apparatus and fire halls. This would allow for a change from $85,742 to $100,000 per year for Savary Island taxpayers. The motion carried unanimously.
The fourth motion was for the committee to recommend that the board direct staff to increase the Northside fire protection service annual contribution to the statutory reserve from $118,512 to $150,000 per year to contribute additional funds toward the purchase and replacement of fire apparatus and fire halls. It carried unanimously
The final motion was that the committee direct staff to provide a report for options and timelines for the replacement of the Lasqueti Island North fire hall. It carried unanimously.
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