Halifax Regional Council will review a motion on Tuesday to investigate building new fire stations that incorporate housing units within the same structure.
Dartmouth-area Councillor Tony Mancini brought the motion forward to address aging infrastructure and the municipal need for more housing.
Mancini stated: “The challenge (is that) fire stations are anywhere from $10 to $15 million a pop.
“Before we replace these fire stations or add new fire stations, (it will) be a long, long time from now with the way our budget is and our capital budget is.”
The proposal requests a staff report on potential housing partnership opportunities for Station 13 on King Street in Dartmouth and Station 3 on West Street in Halifax.
Mancini described the current condition of these two facilities as being in dire need of replacement.
He added that these stations are literally just keeping together or holding together with duct tape.
The councillor noted that Vancouver previously used similar partnerships to offset the costs of modernizing old fire stations by including community space or housing.
In 2019, the City of Vancouver opened a social housing project built on a redeveloped firehall which included 31 units for women and children.
Then-Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart said: “Firehalls have long been a symbol of safety and protection in our communities, and now this firehall will be that same symbol, but in a very different way.”
The Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA) has acknowledged the financial issues facing the municipality regarding its infrastructure.
HPFFA Vice-president Joe Triff explained that the union is interested in the motion provided public safety remains the top priority.
Triff wrote: “We are interested in reviewing the details of this motion and any potential solutions it may identify.
“As always, we stand ready to engage as stakeholders to ensure that any changes support effective emergency response and the safety of our communities.”
Mancini expressed concern that waiting to address these facility needs through traditional budget cycles will result in safety issues.
