The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is hosting a pair of information meetings to provide details about the proposed Cherry Creek Fire Protection Area.

Deputy General Manager of Operations, Jamie Vieira, says it will be to gauge how keen residents are to expand the existing Tobiano Fire Protection Area to include Cherry Creek.

“The purpose of this meeting is to present to the community the results of that feasibility study and then go into more detail of discussing the actual operational implications and even tax implications of what it would look like if we went ahead,” Vieira said.

“We’ll discuss the operational requirements in terms of we need volunteer firefighter recruitment, we need to build the new fire hall and looking at the budget and the cost as well as the operating cost, the distance to all the different properties in Cherry Creek, we’ll be discussing the map and the travel distance from the new hall to those proposed locations.”

Both meetings will take place next Wednesday, July 27.

A virtual meeting will be held at 1:30 in the afternoon followed by an in-person one at the Cherry Creek Ranch Equestrian Facility, located at 5420 Trans-Canada Highway West, at 6:30 that evening.

Residents may also provide feedback through an online survey here. The TNRD says copies of the survey will also be available at the in-person information meeting.

“Cherry Creek has seen rapid growth, and during the most recent public meeting in the summer of 2021, the desire to have fire protection was voiced strongly,” Vieira added. “Ultimately, we’re wanting their feedback on whether or not they are in support of us moving forward with this process [now that they have specifics.]”

“What that would mean is we’d move forward with a formal referendum, or if people are not in favour of this, then we wouldn’t move forward with that process.”

The referendum would be similar to one recently conducted in the Monte Creek area. If approved, it would likely be held in conjunction with the Municipal Election on October 15.

For more on the fire protection in the Cherry Creek area, go here.