Investing in a Safer Future: A replacement Fire Hall #2 for Heriot Bay
As published in the Discovery Islander on January 24, 2025, page 7
A replacement fire hall is needed in Heriot Bay
The South Quadra Island Fire Protection District has been working for the past few years on a plan to improve the safety and functionality of the fire hall in Heriot Bay. The current hall was built in 1970 to meet the urgent need for a fire hall in Heriot Bay. The needs of the community and standards for fire halls have changed significantly since then. The hall in Heriot Bay is no longer safe, adequate, or compliant with current standards.
We initially looked at retrofitting and renovating the existing fire hall. However, we determined that this is not practical given the age and construction of the building, seismic issues (it is unlikely to survive an earthquake), the lack of water and septic on site, and the fact that the lot is quite small and leased.
In 2021 we purchased land for a replacement fire hall at 1525 West Road in Heriot Bay, across the street from the current hall. Now we need to build the replacement hall. To do that, we propose to borrow the funds to finance construction. We know that the longer we wait to build, the more costly it will be.
How much will a replacement fire hall cost?
The cost of building a replacement Fire Hall #2 is estimated to be $2,900,000 if we commence construction in 2025. This budget was created based on current market prices for a hall that will cover the basics required for modern day fire halls, while also considering the future needs of a growing population. It will not be fancy or frilly.
The design of the replacement fire hall is based on similar fire halls throughout Vancouver Island and will meet current building and seismic post-disaster standards while providing much needed space for fire fighting apparatus and equipment. It will survive an earthquake and be available for use as a Command Centre during a major emergency. It should be completed by 2027 and last at least 50 years.
How will we pay for the replacement fire hall?
We need to borrow money to pay for the construction of the hall. Capital grants are not available to Fire Protection Districts and the cost is simply too much for us to fundraise, though any donations we do receive will be used to reduce the amount of the loan.
The loan would be repaid through property taxes. The properties within the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District would pay an estimated $23.50 per $100,000 of taxable property value per year. This would start in the month of July following the completion of construction, so not for a few years. The term of the loan would be a maximum of 20 years. Property owners outside the Fire Protection District would not be impacted. If you would like to view a map of the District please go to www.qifirehall2.ca/map.
What do I do if I oppose the borrowing of funds to build the hall?
Before we borrow the money, we are asking for the approval of eligible property owners in the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP). This means that if you oppose the borrowing of funds to build a replacement fire hall #2 in Heriot Bay, you can register your opposition by signing and sending in an Owner Response Form. Forms can be sent, by email or mail, between February 20th and the deadline of Thursday, March 27th, 2025 at midnight.
Who can submit an Owner Response Form?
Any property owner within the Fire Protection District boundaries who is a Canadian citizen, over the age of 18, has been a BC resident for at least six months prior to the date they sign the Form, and is entitled to vote in British Columbia, is eligible to submit a Form. This includes owners who live on their property that is within the Fire Protection District boundaries, as well as non-resident property owners who live elsewhere in BC. Owner representatives are also eligible if they are Canadian citizens, over the age of 18, entitled to vote in British Columbia, and EITHER an authorized agent of a board or corporation that owns property in the District, OR an authorized agent of any person who has died, become insolvent, or is incapacitated, and owns property in the District.
If ten percent of eligible property owners (or 167 people) submit Owner Response Forms, the Board of Trustees cannot proceed with borrowing the funds to build a replacement Fire Hall #2 in Heriot Bay. If the borrowing of funds is not approved through the AAP, the Board of Trustees may proceed with holding a Referendum or a Special Meeting at a later date.
Starting on February 20th, 2025, Information Packages and Owner Response Forms will be available between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, Monday to Thursday (unless staff are responding to an emergency), at Fire Hall #1, 844 Heriot Bay Rd in Quathiaski Cove. The Information Package and Form can also be downloaded at www.qifirehall2.ca starting on February 20th.
How can I support this important project?
Community support is essential for us to build a replacement Fire Hall #2. You can support this project by using your voice to tell others why you support a replacement Fire Hall #2 for the Quadra Island Fire Department and helping clarify any misinformation that you hear. We are also accepting donations to help offset the amount we need to borrow. If you would like to donate please mail your cheque to P.O. Box 80, Quathiaski Cove, BC, V0P 1N0 or drop it off at Fire Hall #1 at 844 Heriot Bay Road.
Where can I find out more?
For more information and to sign up for email updates please go to www.qifirehall2.ca.
We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions, either by email [email protected] or by phone (250) 285-3262 or using the contact form on www.qifirehall2.ca. We will update the FAQ section of the website as new questions come in.
We will be holding a number of Open Houses and will be publishing information about them in the Discovery Islander and the Bird’s Eye, as well as putting the information on our website www.qifirehall2.ca and sending it to our email list. Stay tuned!
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
– The Trustees of the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District