The Pacheedaht First Nation is the proud owner of a shiny, new fire truck … well, sort of.
The Port Renfrew Fire Commission retired one of its trucks and rather than trying to sell it, a decision was made to give it to the Pacheedaht First Nation.
“The Pacheedaht pay 40 per cent of the fire department budget and the commission felt that rather than selling the fire truck for $5,000, the truck could be better used at the new First Nation sawmill,” Hicks said.
Municipal governments are allowed to keep a truck in service for 30 years, and then must dispose of it. Port Renfrew is replacing the truck with a new tanker valued at $120,000.
The Pacheedaht truck has a lot of local history. It was bought from the Sidney Fire Department six years ago by Port Renfrew before passed on to the First Nation.
