By Curtis Galbraith

Cost increase for new La Glace fire hall

Jun 28, 2018 | 5:30 AM

A new fire hall is being built in La Glace, but the cost is $474,856.85 more than what was in the County of Grande Prairie budget.
 
The total cost is now $1,924,500. Council has approved using reserve funds to make up the shortfall.
 
“We saw a sharp increase in things like steel, drywall, wood, which was a bit of a shock and surprise,” says Fire Chief Dan Verdun, adding, “We now look at unanticipated things such as tariffs being imposed and working with our neighbours in the States, I suspect that had a fair impact on what we were doing.”
 
He adds the cost for tradespeople has also gone up. Cuts were made to things like aesthetics and flooring.
 
Verdun says the department has outgrown the existing fire hall.
 
“The site we are currently in was built a couple decades ago. It suited the needs of the time, but as our service has expanded, as our apparatus has gotten bigger, as we’ve taken on more personnel, we’ve simply outgrown the current location, so we had a need to grow with our expanding service.”
 
Verdun says they hope to be moved in by next spring, hopefully, sooner.  
 
“It really depends on the contractor and, all things being equal, we would hope that the building gets to lock-up by the winter season and then we anticipate that we would work on the interior pieces of it, taking us into  early spring of next year.” 
 
Verdun says a new well will be drilled to supply the hall with water at first. County Administration is looking at things like adding a new water line that could service the new fire hall and other parts of La Glace.