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 An addition to the Rankin Inlet fire hall would mean training officers like Donald Corbett of Iqaluit, left, and James Bulger of Mississauga, Ont., would no longer have to seek space at the Community Learning Centre and other hamlet facilities to deliver courses. |
Hamlet council passed a resolution earlier this month to accept $140,000 in funding from the Department of Community and Government Services.
The money will be used to construct a training room at the Rankin Inlet fire hall.
Rankin SAO John Hodgson says there was always a training room envisioned for the fire hall, but the project had to be put on hold when the decision was made to house the community's ambulance in the extra garage bay.
"Getting that training room completed is something that's been on the books for a few years and we're finally managing to get it looked after," says Hodgson.
"This is the third time we've applied for the funding, so we're quite happy to have it approved."
Rankin fire chief Rick Penner says the new training room will provide a number of benefits to both the volunteer force and the community in general.
"We conduct training every Monday and we've never had our own home for that," says Penner.
"I've had to beg, borrow and steal space from everybody in the community I could think of for our training sessions.
"At other times, we've actually had to sit on the rear-end of the truck.
"This is something that's been on and off the table for years and we're excited to finally see some movement."
Putting plan in place
Penner says the new room will help ease a bit of the strain being felt in the community by numerous groups looking for space to hold their activities.
He says a floor plan is already being drafted in hopes of getting the project started as soon as possible.
"We're hoping to see construction start later this summer, but, of course, that depends on a number of factors, including the floor plan being completed and approved, the tender and the supply of materials.
"Once it's completed, we won't have to be always moving personnel and gear around to accommodate our training needs, which will be a welcome change from our past way of having to do things."
