Charlottetown puts plans for third fire hall on hold 

After years of planning, including the purchase of land and design of a new building, Charlottetown is putting plans for a third fire station on hold.

Tim Mamye, Charlottetown fire chief, says he wants a Fire Underwriters Survey completed to ensure the fire department is making the right decision. He said it's been 17 years since a full survey was completed in the capital.  

Mamye said he doesn't believe a third station is needed. He said he believes a new fire hall should be constructed to replace Station 2 in Sherwood.

"We're not going forward with tendering for construction until we determine our internal operations and decide exactly what we need if it's two stations or three stations or one station, whatever is determined through the Fire Underwriters," Mamye said. 

"Three stations just adds another station to maintain, another station to possibly staff either volunteer-wise or career-wise, so that's an increase in personnel. All of that increases with a third station and whether or not it improves our operations is in question." 

'That ain't happening'

The city initially wanted to close Station 2 on St. Peter's Road, replacing it with the new station slated to be built on Malpeque Road.

But in 2019, following opposition from residents in the area, the city decided to keep Station 2 in Sherwood and add a third station in West Royalty. The city has set aside more than $5 million for the project. 

Ultimately, council will have to decide whether to stick with the plan for three stations.

Terry Bernard, councillor for Ward 10, said as far as he's concerned, the city plans to proceed with three stations. Station 2 serves his district.

Bernard said he will fight any plans to close Station 2 in Sherwood. 

"That ain't happening," said Bernard, when asked to comment on the possible closure of Station 2. 

"You look at East Royalty and you say to yourself, 'It's the fastest-growing community right now in Charlottetown.' To move a fire service away from that doesn't make any sense to me."

'We were building a third station'

The issue came up during the city's protective and emergency services committee meeting on Jan. 24.

During that meeting, which is recorded and online, Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown expressed his frustration with the delay, saying the decision to pause the project was made at the eleventh hour. 

"We were told we were building a third station, that was always the discussion," said Brown.

Mamye told councillors that on average the department gets about 800 calls a year. He said about 550 to 600 of those are for Station 1 downtown.

The remaining 200 to 250 calls are for Station 2 in Sherwood.

'I'm sticking to the commitment'

He said if a third station is added in West Royalty, it simply divides those 250 calls in half and doesn't address the issue of response time. 

During the last municipal election, Brown promised a new fire hall. 

"I made that commitment in 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022. I'm sticking to the commitment," said Brown.

"The new fire services facility was to be a third facility, that was always the discussion." 

Brown wouldn't say whether he would support any plans to close Station 2 in Sherwood.

'We meet our operational requirements'

During the committee hearing last week, councillors asked how long this project would be on hold but didn't get an answer. 

A city official cautioned that may raise human resource issues and asked that it be discussed behind closed doors. 

In the past, the union that represents paid firefighters in Charlottetown — the Charlottetown Professional Firefighters Association — has said it would like the city to hire more firefighters.

 The city is currently going into arbitration with the union to come up with its first contract. They've been without a contract for just over four years now. 

Mamye said the delay in building the new fire hall is not putting outlying areas of the city at risk.

"We meet our operational requirements," he said.

"We'll get to wherever we need to get to within the city limits within that response time."