South Frontenac Fire Station #8 Grand Opening

Jeff Green | Nov 01, 2023

The Battersea/Sunbury area has been the focus for a number of infrastructure projects in South Frontenac in 2023. The renovated Storrington Centre opened in the late winter, a major road construction project, on Battersea Road in Sunbury, followed in the early summer, and in August a sidewalk project in the hamlet of Battersea was undertaken.

While all of that work was taking place, construction crews were working away on the construction of a new $3.3million fire station, also on Battersea Road.

On October 21st, the brand new fire station, Station #8, was officially opened. The station is located on the same site as the Storrington Centre, and it represents a major advance in fire services, in the fast growing eastern end of the township.

The station includes 3 bays, and is similar in design to station #6, that was opened in Perth Road in 2019, but with some important additional features. It replaces the former station at the same site and the former station #9 on Burnt Hills Road.

Alex Bennett, the interim fire chief in the township, said that the training room that was built at Station #8 is “easily the largest training room that we have in the township. It will be a huge benefit to recruitment in this part of the township and will make it easier to conduct certification programs.”

As part of the cross border nature of fire services, the room will be offered to Rideau Lakes Township for their department to use, if they can use it.

The station also includes meeting rooms and offices for platoon chiefs.

A township media release included details about energy efficiency aspects of the new build.

“The design incorporated several energy efficient features, including roof mounted solar panels, LED lighting, an air-source heat pump, and an agreement with Hydro One for net metering to offset energy costs,” said the release.

“The new firehall truly is a facility built for the residents, and by the residents,” said Mayor Vandewal in an interview with the News, back in March at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new station, “because without the community’s support, none of this would have been possible.”

And at the opening ceremony on October 21st he indicated that there will be other new fire stations built, in years to come, in the township.

“Council has committed, within the long-range plan, to invest in and update our fire and emergency facilities,” he said.

Interim Chief Bennett described the two stations that have been built in recent years as “50 year buildings that will serve generations of residents.

But, he added that the department will not make a proposal for another new station when Council sits down to consider the 2024 township budget later this month.

“We are one piece of the pie, and there are other priorities for 2024 that the township will be looking at,” he said.