Municipality of North Perth, Ontario, September 11, 2010 – The Municipality of North Perth is celebrating the official opening of the new Listowel Fire Station today, which will improve emergency response services and increase the overall effectiveness of the fire department. The new building was constructed thanks to investments made by the governments of Canada and Ontario, and the Municipality of North Perth.
Gary Schellenberger, Member of Parliament for Perth-Wellington; the Honourable John Wilkinson, Member of Provincial Parliament for Perth-Wellington; and Ed Smith, North Perth Fire Department Chief, were on hand today to celebrate the grand opening of the newly constructed Listowel Fire Station and receive a tour of the facilities.
“Firefighters provide an important service to the residents of North Perth and deserve a comfortable, safe and secure space to call their own,” said MP Schellenberger, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Chuck Strahl. “The new Listowel Fire Hall will allow the firefighters of North Perth to safely and effectively serve their community and the Government of Canada is proud to have contributed to this project that protects the health and safety of Canadians.”
“Through our government’s Open Ontario plan, we are investing in key infrastructure projects that are making Ontario both stronger and safer,” said MPP Wilkinson. “We are deeply committed to the protection of all Ontarians, and this newly completed fire station helps our brave volunteer firefighters strengthen and maintain that commitment.”
“The Municipality of North Perth is very pleased and excited with the completion of our new fire hall,” said North Perth Fire Chief Ed Smith. “The new hall supplies the North Perth Fire Department with the proper facility for today’s needs and well into the future.”
The new fire hall is significantly larger than the fire department’s previous location, providing space for increased facilities and storage. The new building has an expanded dispatch centre, an office for the district chief, a new training room for the firefighters, and a dedicated exercise room. The building also includes a conference room with audio and visual capabilities and a full kitchen.
The total eligible cost of the project is $1.8 million. The governments of Canada and Ontario are each providing up to $600,000 under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The Municipality of North Perth contributed the remaining funds.
The construction of the Listowel Fire Hall is part of a larger project, which also involves rehabilitating the North Perth Administration Building. Construction is underway on the rest of the project.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding to close to 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.
The contribution from the Province of Ontario comes from its 2009 provincial budget that is supporting more than 300,000 jobs and strengthening Ontario's economy.
Since 2007, the governments of Canada and Ontario have committed more than $13 billion in funding to over 6,400 infrastructure projects across the province.
For additional information:
Stratford Office of MP Schellenberger
519-273-1400
Office of MPP Wilkinson
519-272-0662
Janny Elg
Municipality of North Perth
519-291-6825 ext 3100
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148
