Further construction on the West Creston Fire Hall requires more funding and an announcement will be made in October.
Area C Director Adam Casemore received a $15,000 FortisBC Community Giving Award at last week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities in Vancouver. All of it is going toward the fire hall, but he’s waiting on the approval of a grant ten times the size to get things started.
“We’re hopeful that we’re going to be successful in the B.C Gaming Grant. If we’re successful, then we’re pretty much ready to put shovels in the ground so to speak, or start framing. We’re ready to start pounding nails here.”
The $150,000 B.C. Gaming Grant funds community projects through provincial gambling revenues. The deadline for approval is November 1, 2019. Casemore says the grant is the necessary catalyst to get work started. The remainder of the project’s cost is greatly reduced thanks to donated labour from Z-KO Construction and materials from J.H Huscroft Ltd according to Casemore.
The $2.2 billion Federal Gas Tax Fund is another avenue Casemore is advocating for, he says the funds are primarily used to support infrastructure priorities.
“Energy upgrades, efficiency upgrades, it mostly pertains to existing infrastructure. If you could apply that funding towards emergency services building, I think it would go a long way for municipalities and local governments.”
For now, the West Creston Fire Fire Protection Society will have to renew their lease on private property to house their equipment. As for the West Creston Fire Hall foundation and construction plans, Casemore says it’s up-to-date with 2019 building code.