In the works for seven years, Talbotville’s new fire hall was officially opened Saturday, with the ceremony featuring a community open house.
The new facility is located behind where the original hall, opened in the 1960s, once stood.
A groundbreaking ceremony had been held in July of last year. At that time, Jeff McArthur, Director of Emergency Services and the Southwold Fire Chief recalled, “When I first joined the fire service, it was just over 20 years ago, and it was this station that I joined.
“And since that time there have been quite a few changes. When I joined, there were two trucks here. Since then we have added a third truck. Our officer and firefighter roster has increased. The number of emergency incidents has tripled since that time.”
McArthur detailed some of the features of the $4.3 million station.
The new hall was constructed on land donated to the municipality by the McCaig family, noted Southwold Mayor Grant Jones.
And the timing of the new facility ties in with a construction boom in Southwold and St. Thomas.
An important feature of the new hall is a second entrance off Talbot Line, allowing firefighters to pull straight into the hall, instead of backing in off Sunset Drive.
MPP Rob Flack praised the support of the community throughout the construction process.
With a price tag of just over $4 million, Mayor Jones pointed out that this is “a cost-effective firehall,” designed to serve the community for the next 50 years.
Written by Ian McCallum
