For decades, the City of Fernie, B.C., has not had a dedicated fire hall, but that’s about to change.
The city has proposed Prentice Park as the preferred site of a new multi-million dollar fire hall. However, some residents are worried about the choice in location.
“(Prentice Park) is special to me because it’s got lots of memories. I played with lots of my buddies on this park and a couple of them aren’t here anymore,” said Bill Sailer, a 45-year resident of the community.
The park currently has two ballparks and one would have to go to make way for the new fire hall.
“You come down here when there’s baseball games going on, kids baseball, grown ups baseball, the crowds are here. People come here, watch the game, have a chat, socialize,” said Dave Gildea, a 56-year resident of Fernie.
The park was donated in the 1970s under the condition it be used as a recreational site, but the mayor of Fernie says safety must come first.
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“Of the two sites that were looked at in detail, it’s certainly the preferable site. It has the best access to both the full community and to the highway,” said Nic Milligan, mayor of Fernie.
The fire chief, Brendan Morgan, says he understands the concerns, but there is a valid reason for this site being selected.
“I fully understand what the community is going through. It’s a hub for a lot of people in the evenings in the summertime,” said Morgan. “Our intention is to keep using part of the park, but we’d like to be able to put the fire hall there, it’s in the perfect location for us.”
Currently, the fire department is operating out of a temporary site that is on the wrong side of the tracks, literally. Morgan says over 80 per cent of emergency calls come across the train tracks, meaning they sometimes have to wait a long time to reach their destination.
“We’ve had a few fires now where we’ve been waiting eight minutes, at least, until we get across the tracks to get to the fire. So, at the end of the day, it’s all about community safety.”
Still, some residents, including hundreds who have signed a petition to halt this project, believe a fire hall can be constructed on this side of the railroad without demolishing their beloved ballpark.
“We’re losing our greenspace and this is the very last of it. It’s just important to us to protect it for the citizens of Fernie, our children and everyone else who comes here to use this space,” said Alleine Anselmo, who was born and raised in the B.C. city.
However, it’s not only the adults who want to keep the park alive — 10-year-old Lacey Harkies says she’s afraid of losing it.
“Our school uses this for track and field and our gym education. So, I don’t know where else we would play kickball and stuff,” said Harkies.
Milligan, however, promises that, if the project advances, the city will not be abandoning the remaining ballpark.
“We’ve included $100,000 in the project budget to enhance our existing field so they have a good place to play.”
If all goes ahead, the new fire hall could be operational by the end of 2027.
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