A dream of having a new fire hall for the McLeese Lake Volunteer Fire Department could become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
MLVFD chief Ian Hicks said the department is in desperate need of a fire hall and is patiently awaiting approval through the Agricultural Land Reserve process to purchase a property for the construction of a home in downtown McLeese Lake.
“We already have the money to buy the property,” he said. “It’s surveyed, it’s been looked at, and the paperwork’s all done. As soon as that’s good [ALR approval] we’re getting that two-acre property. Once we start building the rest of the money won’t be a problem.”
Many local volunteers and businesses have jumped on board offering to provide free labour already, he said.
The volunteer fire department is currently operating out of a borrowed garage, along with several members’ garages.
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“If we can get that building built it’s going to solve a lot of problems,” Hicks said.
In 2017, the MLVFD responded to 23 911 calls, along with 15 vehicle incidents.
Earlier this summer, the department found itself the victim of a theft when one of its pumper trucks was siphoned of half its gas, leaving them unable to immediately respond to a fire caused by an accident on Highway 97.
“Currently we have a 40-year-old truck that is just a beautiful, beautiful machine, but after 40 years, you know, it’s got little nuances you’ve got to get used to,” he said. “It’s a struggle [for a small volunteer fire department]. But on the one hand it’s super rewarding. We only responded to two fires this summer, so we got off real easy compared to last year.”
Hicks has lived in McLeese Lake for 26 years, and said he’s proud of the work and positive effect the department has had on the community.
In preparation to build the new hall, Hicks said the department has been doing a lot of its own fundraising, and has set aside funds from gaming grants its received.
“We don’t have big expenses,” he said. “It’s very difficult being without a home base, which causes some stress and chaos.”
“Right now our number one focus is getting that two-acre property right behind the [McLeese Lake store]. It’s flat, it’s level and it’s an absolutely perfect spot to put a fire hall. As soon as we can get it, our volunteer society will own it and we’ve got more than enough in the bank to start building a foundation.”
Should construction begin, Hicks said he’d like to model the building after the Big Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s building.
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“They’re a model private fire department and they have a nice building, nice equipment and a nice tidy setup,” he said. “Once we can get our building built then everything’s inside, everything’s hung up and things aren’t spread out everywhere. It’s dry, it’s not covered in snow when we need it and gas isn’t being siphoned by people.”
As an advocate for the McLeese Lake community, Hicks said he hopes things like the MLVFD and the building of a new fire hall will attract more people to the area.
The ALR process, meanwhile, should be finalized by the spring of 2019. “This will change everything,” he said. “I believe it will attract more people from the community to maybe step up and volunteer, too.”
