Glencoe, Ontario, July 16, 2011 – A new fire station in the Village of Glencoe will improve safety and fire protection services for the residents of Southwest Middlesex.
The new fire department was relocated from Glencoe’s downtown area to the village’s south end, making it easier for fire trucks to respond to emergencies. The new station also features in-house training facilities, enhanced ventilation, more equipment storage, and energy-saving technologies, such as geothermal heating and a water recycling system.
“Firefighters provide fire protection services that are crucial to the safety and security of our communities,” said Bev Shipley, Member of Parliament for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “The Government of Canada is proud to have supported this project in Southwest Middlesex that is giving the firefighters of the region a new home.”
“The McGuinty government’s infrastructure investments are making our communities safer places for families and their children,” said Maria Van Bommel, Member of Provincial Parliament for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex. “I know this new, modern fire station will be welcomed by our community, by our brave firefighters, and by the families who depend on them for safety and protection.”
“We are thrilled to be celebrating the opening of our new fire station,” said Doug Reycraft, Mayor of the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex. “The construction of the station is a product of great collaboration between our fire fighters, municipal staff and our council. This building has the space and amenities that will allow our fire fighters to train and respond to emergencies more easily and in greater safety.”
The governments of Canada and Ontario each committed $333,333 toward this project through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The Municipality of Southwest Middlesex contributed the balance of the total eligible project cost of $1 million. In addition, the municipality used $130,000 of their annual Gas Tax Fund allocation to upgrade the heating and cooling system in the fire hall from a conventional system to a geothermal system. The Municipality of Southwest Middlesex also contributed up to $10,000 toward this project.
“The federal Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in Ontario” said Peter Hume, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). “The funding is supporting thousands of important infrastructure projects and is critical to job creation, Ontario’s competitiveness and environmental sustainability.”
Federal funding for this project comes from the Government of Canada’s $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which is supporting over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country. From 2010 to 2014, the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex will also receive $722,703 in federal Gas Tax funding.
In June, Ontario had an increase of more than 40,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 7.7 percent.
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For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
Contacts:
Vanessa Schneider
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Office of MPP Van Bommel
519-245-8696
Office of Mayor Reycraft
519-287-2015
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148 or toll-free 1-877-250-7154
