Wilmot to include construction of new fire station in long-term capital plan

By Galen Simmons

Wilmot Township has taken another step toward replacing its aging New Hamburg fire station after council approved the next planning phase for a new, purpose-built firehall on Neville Street.

At its Feb. 2 committee of the whole meeting, council received a Phase 1 update outlining the schematic design, site feasibility and Class D cost estimates for a new Fire Station 3 and parks and facilities operations centre at 30 Neville St. Council also directed staff to incorporate future phases – including construction costs – into the township’s 10-year capital plan, expected to be complete later this year, pending recommendations from the ongoing Fire Services Master Plan update scheduled to be completed in 2027.

“This is really an initial step of a feasibility study of the site at 30 Neville St., both for the parks and facilities administration centre, but also for the siting of potentially station 3 and looking kind of down the road at a new fire station,” township director of community services Chris Catania told council. “I think at this point … there are a couple of key components here. One is looking at our updated financial strategy and long-term capital plan and how we can address a financial strategy for that, and two, earmark the potential for costing that would come with subsequent phases, whether it’s the detailed design piece and subsequent construction, and incorporating those Class D construction estimates into our long-range capital plan.

“That’s obviously going to really be informed by the updated Fire Services Master Plan that’s going to be forthcoming as well.”

The Phase I work represents the first formal design step toward replacing the current fire station at 121 Huron St., which township staff have previously identified as no longer meeting modern operational, safety or regulatory requirements. A 2019 assessment concluded the existing station would require extensive upgrades that could not reasonably be addressed through renovation due to space limitations, site constraints and functional deficiencies.

According to the Phase I report, continued investment in the Huron Street facility would not resolve longstanding challenges related to emergency response, firefighter safety, building code compliance or the future needs of the Wilmot Fire Department.

The Neville Street property, purchased by the township in 2023, was identified as the most viable long-term solution due to its size, location and ability to accommodate a modern fire station alongside municipal operations. Phase I focused on confirming site feasibility, reviewing regulatory requirements, analyzing infrastructure capacity and developing a functional design concept to support informed decision-making before moving into detailed design and construction.

The preferred concept would retain the existing Neville Street building for fire administration and parks operations while constructing a new, purpose-built addition to support front-line fire services. This approach allows both departments to continue operating without interruption while clearly separating public access, staff areas and emergency response functions.

“I like the designs, I think it’s a good idea; I’m just curious if my colleagues have had people in the public talk (with them) about it,” Coun. Steven Martin said. “I have pros and cons. Some people are in favour of moving our firehall to the Neville Street facilities, but then some people say, ‘Oh, we shouldn’t do that.’

“ … In my mind, it’s something that we need to do, and the downtown Huron Street facility has some problems in terms of size, even currently, even if we weren’t buying a bigger truck.”

Design features for the new fire station include properly sized apparatus bays, a decontamination room with negative-pressure extraction, SCBA fill station, bunker gear storage, laundry facilities, secure equipment storage and a multi-purpose training room designed for shared use by township departments. The design also incorporates modern life-safety features, improved accessibility, dedicated changerooms with showers, upgraded mechanical systems and multiple paths of egress.

The Class D cost estimate developed through Phase I, totalling roughly $18.4 million, will be used to inform future budget planning and potential grant applications, but no construction timeline has been set. Further progress on the project is dependent on recommendations from the Fire Services Master Plan update and a comprehensive financial strategy to be brought forward later this year.

“I was very happy to see the focus on long-term financial planning, asset management and the value-for-money assessment to compare cost and benefits before expanding township services,” Coun. Lilliane Dunstall said.