M.D. picks location, to begin work immediately on $5.5M Cherry Grove Fire Hall

The location of the new Cherry Grove Fire Hall, which work begins on immediately. Image: M.D. of Bonnyville.

The M.D. of Bonnyville has picked a location for the construction of a $5.5 million fire hall and grader shop to be built for Cherry Grove. 

M.D. council selected land they own on the northwest corner of the intersection of Highway 55 and Township Road 412 at last Tuesday’s council meeting. 

In the 2024 capital budget, council agreed to set aside millions of dollars to build this facility, spurred from conversations about how to prevent future destruction of land and buildings after a rash of significant arsons targeted the area. 

“We can have shovels in the ground this week and get started to clear some of that bush,” said chief administrative officer Al Hoggan during the meeting. 

The M.D. did some preliminary survey work at the site, work that could “be undone” if council chose a different location. But there are hopes to get started immediately, which will happen by sending out the tender. 

They were presented with multiple options, including land owned by the Cherry Grove Agricultural Society, on the northwest corner of the intersection of Highway 55 and 50th street at the main entrance to Cherry Grove. 

Notes say the site location had to be approved “as soon as possible” to meet the M.D.’s construction schedule, which calls for the fire hall to be completed and turned over by late 2025 or early 2026.  

M.D. staff believe there were more positives with the Highway 55 site, avoiding a land transfer, and avoiding noise issues, while keeping the building footprint they wish to keep. They believed they’d have to compromise on some of the needed amenities in other locations. 

But there were some concerns with the site chosen by residents, it was said at the council meeting. 

“I know it’s a tough place to build a fire hall anywhere, but it’s always going to affect some residents,” said Reeve Barry Kalinski. 

“If you build it in Cherry Grove, it’s right across from three or four houses there as well, and the [community] hall.” 

‘Halls look pretty and they hold a siren, but you need people to man the iron.’

By choosing this spot though, there will be a natural buffer with tree lines, and noise won’t be as much of a concern.

The series of arsons cost the hamlet it’s Church of Latter Day Saints and forced services to the Community Hall. The Post Office was also threatened in the same incident back in April 2023.

To give residents a stronger sense of safety and security, discussions began almost immediately around M.D. council of building a hall.

But since they’re undergoing construction, they are going to include a grader shop to house M.D. machinery.

And while building a hall is one, it’s people that fight fires.

The Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority hosted a recruitment drive in October to gauge interest, and signal whether the idea was worth pursuing.

Regional fire chief Dan Heney said they well surpassed their goal of 24 people.

“We’ve got almost 60 people on the list,” Heney told Lakeland Connect. 

“We’re probably not gonna be able to take 60 people. But before too long here, we’re gonna release some messaging on getting folks started. And we’ll look at getting some initial training done with as many people as we can, so that we’re ready. We’re trying to get as much training done as we can prior to the station going up.”