- MYMUSKOKANOW.COM - A La Une - 10/07/2024 15:15

Residents express concern with location for future Bracebridge fire hall

Coun. Barb McMurray was one of a handful of people who packed into a conference room at the Bracebridge Fire Department's Station 1 to share their concerns about the potential move of Station 2.  [caption id="attachment_133974" align="alignleft" width="300"] A conceptual design of what the relocated Station 2 could look like (Photo supplied by: Town of Bracebridge)[/caption] Currently, the station is located at 3448 Hwy. 118 E. near Vankoughnet but council approved moving it to 1002 Uffington Rd., a town-owned 23-acre property known commonly as Uffington Park, in May 2024.  McMurray and District Coun. Don Smith were the only ones who voted against the idea, with both agreeing community consultation needs to happen to discuss location options.  A social media post by the Town of Bracebridge describes the meeting held Tuesday afternoon at Station 1 on 225 Taylor Rd. as an opportunity to "provide feedback on the functions and amenities of the site, including future parkland development." Another is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. until noon.  "The way it is right now, nobody's been heard," said McMurray after the meeting. "They've got tunnel vision."  [caption id="attachment_136104" align="alignright" width="300"] Scott Granahan, fire chief, held court as residents expressed their concerns with the location chosen for Station 2 (Photo credit: Mathew Reisler)[/caption] Scott Granahan, fire chief, and Mike Peake, deputy fire chief, were among the people available to discuss what residents hope the future fire hall will look like, but most of the questions centered on its location.  "We had a passionate discussion about a couple of things, and I think that speaks to everybody's opinion on what they feel are the important aspects of this change," said Granahan.  McMurray, who has been part of Bracebridge council for the better part of two decades, pointed out how she's not only been involved in the discussion recently, but when it was first brought up in 2008.  She reiterated a point she made then and has said many times, “Station 2 was built by volunteers in 1982 and needs to stay in the area”.  Granahan said there are "only so many measurables" that can be used, and stressed the importance of data, notably time and travel.  He explained the move will allow them to reach more homes quicker. Granahan added during the more recent meeting that two trucks, - Tanker 7 and Pumper 4, - are stored at Station 2 and they can move seven or eight firefighters.  "With this move, immediately, on opening, we're doubling our tankers," he continued. "We're still going to have [the pumper and tanker] in place, and we're going to put a pick up [truck] in place."  Granahan added how the new space will allow them to be more active in the community, unlike the current location which is not a public building by design.  "We're working towards the greatest level of health and wellness for our firefighters," added Granhan.  Along with the second consultation session, Granahan said a stakeholder engagement meeting will be held later this month involving the Ministry of Transportation, police, paramedics, and Canada Post, among others. It will be followed by a Bracebridge-wide firefighter focus group that will look into specifics for the future Station 2.  Granahan added he's committed at least a quarterly update to firefighters about the process.  He said the plan is for a groundbreaking ceremony in 2025, which happens to be the Town of Bracebridge's 150th anniversary, and the station being operational in 2026, which is the Bracebridge Fire Department's 150th.  However, McMurray is hoping her council colleagues "see what she sees" and asks for the location to be discussed again.  According to the Municipal Act, McMurray and Smith are not able to restart the conversation surrounding Station 2's location since they voted against the motion during the May 2024 General Committee meeting and at the subsequent council meeting. The post Residents express concern with location for future Bracebridge fire hall appeared first on My Muskoka Now.