Delayed Ardmore and Fort Kent fire halls to go out to tender soon

Ardmore Fire Hall. Image credit: Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority. 

The Ardmore and Fort Kent fire halls will go out to tender shortly.

The M.D. put aside $5 million for the Fort Kent Fire Hall and Ardmore Fire Hall/Grader Shop in the 2019 capital budget earlier this year, but have hit some snags with their own shuffling personnel and the engineering, delaying their original intention last year to start construction in spring 2019.

“Ideally, it should have come out a lot sooner,” said Reeve Greg Sawchuk.

“We did have to have some drawings re-done there. We had some issues with the engineering.”

“Those are now ready and going out for tender here shortly.”

After getting the proper structural designs finished, M.D. council debated if the new drawings had the same spirit as the original vision, said Sawchuk.

“There was a want to have something on the back of the buildings facing the trail that would look like a false front for a train station, so it actually went in line with the Iron Horse trail,” said Sawchuk.

If they don’t come with that design, those features could be added later on, he added.

The original intention for the fire halls was to include a two-bay fire hall, training classrooms, storage, and office space. The M.D. public works department would also be using the space.

Ardmore’s existing fire hall wouldn’t be able to accomodate a new firetruck, either.

The land was purchased from Muni-Corr in the entry way of both communities.

“The good news is that Ardmore and Fort Kent are going to be getting brand new fire halls and a grader shop attached in Ardmore,” said Sawchuk.