2009-04-15
The Town of Huntsville has submitted four applications for G8 funding for emergency equipment that could help the municipality during the summit, as well as provide a legacy for the town afterwards.
At the last safety and enforcement committee meeting on March 27, fire chief and director of protective services Steve Hernen outlined the proposals for a back-up generator for the Huntsville Legion, a new fire station in Port Sydney, a new fire truck and two new rapid assessment vehicles.
Hernen said it has not been determined what the Huntsville Fire Department’s role will be during the 2010 summit next June at Deerhurst Resort.
“You might argue it’s premature (to submit the applications) but at the same time, because we really don’t know what our responsibilities will be, we felt it was time to at least put the items on the table and start the discussion,” he said.
The four applications are worth a combined $1.9 million. The most costly item being applied for is a new fire station in Port Sydney at $1.1 million.
Hernen told the committee that the building could be used during the G8 to house extra equipment and resources needed in Huntsville for the summit, and would leave Port Sydney with the legacy of a new fire hall.
He added that, once the summit is over, the town could then decide what to do with the old building.
Next is a $450,000 fire truck. Hernen explained to the committee that while a truck would likely be needed within the Deerhurst area during the summit, all of Huntsville’s existing trucks would be needed for the rest of the community.
He added that the legacy to the town would be a new fire truck to service the community “as we expand and grow.”
Also requested was $400,000 for two new rapid assessment vehicles, which Hernen explained are beneficial for responding quickly to situations in congested areas, and that having them can prevent such instances from becoming bigger problems.
The final request is for $30,000 for a second emergency generator to be installed at the Huntsville branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
According to the application, installing the generator would create a permanent evacuation centre in Huntsville in case of emergency, and would provide one for Huntsville residents during the G8, since the town’s primary evacuation centre is identified in the emergency plan as the centennial centre, which will not be available during the summit.
Completion dates for the proposals range from this summer to next spring.
On Feb. 6, Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement announced a $50 million budget for infrastructure related to the 2010 G8 Summit.
At the Muskoka Futures symposium on Feb. 27, Clement also announced that FedNor would be looking at tourism-related G8 initiatives for the region, which would be funded separately.
Huntsville mayor Claude Doughty told the Forester he doesn’t know where the town’s proposed emergency services applications would get funding from, adding that the municipality is not required to apply to one source of funding or another.
“We’re just saying we’re applying,” he said.