Voters approve loan for new Red Bluff Fire Hall

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

Voters have given the green light for the Cariboo Regional District to build a new firehall, allowing the CRD to borrow up to $3.25 million after a referendum. 273 votes were cast in favour of the proposal, while 114 votes were cast against it. Voter turnout is estimated to be about 12% based on the 2,200 houses in the Quesnel Fringe Fire Protection Service area.

With this result, the CRD’s Board will be able to adopt the necessary loan authorization bylaw to start construction of a new firehall. The contract for building the new firehall is also expected to be put out to open tender following a detailed design process and confirmation of financing. The loan would be paid off over 30 years and residential property taxes would increase by $21.40 per $100,000 of assessed value to pay for the loan. An average home would see an increase of $70.62 per year based on a $330,000 assessed value.

“The Red Bluff Firehall provides protection to a very large area, including properties in Red Bluff, Dragon Lake, Richbar, and South Quesnel,” said Mary Sjostrom, Electoral Area “A” Director. “Thank you to everyone who voted for your support and allowing the Cariboo Regional District to build a new firehall to meet the needs of our volunteers and of our growing community for years to come.”

The Red Bluff Firehall was first built in 1981 and enables the Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department to provide fire protection to properties in Red Bluff, Dragon Lake, Richbar, and South Quesnel. Due to a much larger population, significant commercial and industrial developments, and changing firefighting standards, the existing firehall no longer meets the needs of the Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department and must either be retrofitted or replaced.