Saanich council has given a unanimous nod at a public hearing to an expanded new fire hall in Royal Oak that will replace a structure built in 1978.
The new version of the municipality’s hall No. 2 will be 27,000 square feet, up from 3,800, and accommodate up to 10 firefighters rather than the current four, and eight vehicles rather than the current two. A firefighter-training facility will be part of the development.
The approved project budget is $26.6 million.
“It’s exciting times, for sure,” said Fire Chief Mike Burgess. “It’s going to be a much larger facility for us.”
The hall will be at the corner of Elk Lake Drive and Royal Oak Drive, adjacent to the existing building, which will be torn down. The current lot will be combined with two adjacent lots already owned by Saanich.
The new hall’s design is still being finalized, Burgess said. The project is expected to go out for tender later in the fall, with construction pegged to begin early in the new year and take about 18 months.
Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes called the new fire hall “a critical piece of infrastructure” that will serve the community for the next 70 years — especially the rural part of Saanich, which is increasingly at risk of fire as the climate changes.
The department has seen a 35 per cent jump in callouts over the past decade, with a further 25 per cent rise anticipated by 2027.
A staff report notes that the population of Saanich has doubled since construction of the current Royal Oak fire hall, which is in “acceptable” condition but only has room for two fire vehicles.
An expanded Royal Oak hall will also be able to store equipment that the No. 1 hall at the Saanich municipal complex and No. 3 hall at the University of Victoria can’t accommodate, Burgess said.
“We’ve got quite a bit of our high-value equipment and assets that is not stored securely or is in outdoor storage at times of the year,” the fire chief said. “That’s not conducive to the good wear and tear on it.”
Royal Oak Community Association president Roger Graham, who has lived in the area since 1994, said his group is largely on board with the new fire hall, which is definitely needed.
“Clearly the area is rapidly developing,” Graham said.
“With higher-density, higher-height buildings [in the area] it’s clear that redevelopment of the facility and the ability of the fire department to directly respond is going to be hugely enhanced.”
The site is in a mixed-residential area close to Broadmead Village, the Royal Oak Shopping Centre and Saanich Commonwealth Place.
The department recently hired 10 new firefighters following recommendations from a 2019 fire-services review.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
