Waverley West gets temp fire station as it waits for permanent solution

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Construction began Tuesday on an interim fire station in Waverley West.

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The modular structure to be built in a corner of Eaglewood Park will house a fire engine and crew along with an ambulance and paramedics at a capital cost of $6.8 million, with about $5.5 million coming from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service budget and the rest from a federal fund.

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It is portable, so it can be moved to another location when a new permanent station at the corner of Bison Drive and Ruth Crossing is built, which the city says will be in 2026.

WFPS said it is looking to cut response times in the growing area in half from its current 12 minutes. A new station was recommended in the WFPS strategic direction approved by council in June 2020.

“The neighbourhoods of Waverley West grew faster than originally projected. I and many others have been working hard to ensure critical infrastructure projects, like the fire paramedic station are now being put in place,” Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said in a release.

The province has ponied up a $3.4-million grant in operating funding this year to support the addition of 40 new firefighters, it said in a release. It estimates the added positions will cost $14.2 million over four years.

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