New Emergency Hub a buzz
On Saturday, June 16, the newly constructed Joint Emergency Services Facility, located at 6993 Hwy 26 just west of Stayner, will have its Community Grand Opening, marking the culmination of years of planning and unprecedented cooperation between Simcoe County and Clearview Township.
The dedicatory event will begin with tours of the 17,000 square foot facility at 10 am, followed by an official opening ceremony at 11 am and a complimentary barbeque to run until 2 pm.
The facility, which has been operating since last winter, is the first building in Simcoe County to combine local fire services, paramedics and a satellite office of the Ontario Provincial Police. Prior to its construction, emergency services were somewhat scattered across the region, with Simcoe County having no permanent paramedic facility – the closest being located in Angus, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood – and the Huronia West O.P.P operating primarily from its main detachment in Wasaga Beach.
Station One of the Clearview Fire Department, which was previously housed in an aging building in Stayner, has also moved to the facility, creating what Clearview Township Mayor Ken Ferguson has called “a much-needed, centralized office for our growing community.”
“It’s been great,” said Clearview Fire Chief Bob McKean of moving to the hub. “The building is a buzz of activity. It was a long process, coordinating the three different services, but, now that they’re consolidated, we’re working more cohesively.”
The cost of the project was initially the object of some dispute, with Ward 4 Councillor Thom Paterson noting that, though Clearview Township plans to use development charges – which are contingent on growth – to foot their portion of the bill, such growth is not a certainty.
Paterson went further, adding that the need for the project was not pressing and that, ultimately, it was “a long building that holds trucks in it.”
Ferguson disagreed, claiming that the Facility would result in better emergency services for residents of the area, both now and in the future.
“A lot of the benefits the new facility offers the community are hard to put a price on,” said Ferguson, noting in particular the extra space now available in formerly occupied municipal offices and reduced maintenance costs.
According to Ferguson, when the O.P.P. amalgamated in 1994, Stayner and area residents were upset with the resulting reduction in police presence.
“Now they’re back,” said Ferguson, noting that, by the Township’s numbers, the area can expect approximately 1900 more hours of service from the O.P.P.
The approximate $5.9 million cost of the project – along with ownership of the facility – is being shared by both the Township and Simcoe County, with Clearview’s portion amounting to approximately $4 million – a partnership that Ferguson says has evolved over the course of many meetings since his time as deputy mayor 6 to 7 years ago, when the project was first conceived.
“Ultimately, it comes down to common sense,” said Ferguson. “[Better serving the community] comes at a cost, but with the new facility, we’ll be able to do so for the next 50 to 70 years.”
