After a few hiccups in the construction schedule, the new County of Grande Prairie Fire Hall in La Glace is up and running and the first call from the new station already in the rearview mirror. Just three days after opening, crews were sent to a structure fire at an oilfield compressor station on RR 90 near Township 750, where a power pole was struck by lightning.
District Fire Chief Dale Widsten says the new $2 million fire hall is an amazing space, especially from where they moved.
“We actually had a truck parked outside for several years and it gets to come inside, it’s a very exciting time,” he says. “We had some issues with several different things, not really anybody’s fault, but we are very fortunate to get in when we did.”
The county initially awarded the construction of the new La Glace Fire Hall to Southwest Design & Construction with a budget of $1.95 million back in 2018, and groundbreaking took place in July of that year. In March 2019, it was confirmed construction was delayed after the contractor said more work was needed than originally planned. The end date was moved to the end of last year.
Widsten says the new fire hall couldn’t have been ready at a better time, as it will hopefully help them in their push for new recruits.
“A brand new station, we’ve got some of the best equipment out there, and we are getting two new apparatus here in the next year… it’s boosting our current crew’s morale, and we’re hoping to attract some new members as well.”
The building also includes space dedicated specifically to training and public education.