Construction is now underway on the new Monte Creek Firehall project.

General Manager of Operations Jamie Vierra says at this time, the Monte Creek Firehall is expected to be completed by summer 2025. “Prior to 2023 there was no fire protection in this area. So referendum in 2022 where the residents approved creating the new service to pay through taxation as well as contributing toward the capital cost of constructing the hall and the equipment required through taxation. So once that was approved, the service started in 2023 and so their fire, fire department was established, and volunteers were trained up. So the fire protection through the pride fire hall was was began in 2023 and we are taking steps towards getting the hall underway. And, yeah, we’re happy that we we’ve broken ground and onto this next step.”

A contract was awarded earlier this year by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Board of Directors for design and construction of the firehall. The project was awarded to West Alliance Construction during the Board Meeting on May 16, 2024, for a maximum cost of $1.045 million. Following design work during the summer, construction began earlier this month at the firehall property, located at 1257 Hook Road.

The Monte Creek Fire Protection Service Area was approved in a referendum in May 2022 by affected residents. The service area includes 356 properties in Electoral Areas “L” (Grasslands) and “P” (Rivers and the Peaks), including Monte Creek, Del Oro, Lafarge, and the eastern portion of Barnhartvale.

Vierra says residents out there are paying taxation towards the operational costs of the fire department that’s operating out of Prichard, but what they’re not paying yet is anything towards the capital cost. “So those will be that additional taxation will start once the fire hall is completed. So it’d be in the 2026, tax year, the earliest that would be seen in terms of insurance benefits.”

“Residents see significant insurance benefits when they have fire protection, opposed to when they don’t. I mean, I can’t comment on exactly what that looks like, because every insurance company is is different, but we know that, you know, across the candidates are consistent that there’s a significant discount offered by insurance companies when you have fire protection.”

Firehall Location

• The Monte Creek Firehall will be located at 1257 Hook Road, in Monte Creek, B.C. within Electoral Area “L” (Grasslands). It is being built on land that has been generously offered as a donation by the Herman Family.
• The fire hall will serve 356 properties in Electoral Areas “L” (Grasslands) and “P” (Rivers and the Peaks), including properties in Monte Creek, Del Oro, Lafarge, and the east end of Barnhartvale.

Vierra says the donated land made a significant difference in coast. “I believe the appraised value of the land was close to $300,000 that was donated as part of this project. So that’s all savings, direct savings to the taxpayer, that they don’t have to contribute towards.”

Fire Service Costs

Capital Budget: Up to $2.25 million 

• Includes Firehall construction, purchase of a new fire truck and water tender, firefighting equipment, furniture, development of a well, engineering costs and legal fees

Cost breakdown:

• • $1 million via grant funding (Canada Community Building Fund)
  • Up to $1.25 million via borrowing, to be paid back via parcel tax over a 20-year term by owners of the 356 properties within the service area (approved by referendum on May 28, 2022).

Annual Operating Budget: $175,000 

• Paid for through property taxes based on the assessed value of each property, effective beginning at the time of service establishment (January 1, 2023)
  • View Press Release: January 9, 2023: Structural Fire Protection Initiated in Monte Creek Area
• Maximum tax rate for Operating Costs: 66.5 cents per $1,000 dollars of assessed value