IGNACE — As part of the celebration of the town’s White Otter Day celebration, the municipal Council, volunteer firefighters, and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization unveiled their newly purchased pumper truck.
The tank on the pumper truck will hold up up to 4,500 litres of water and 113.5 litres of foam.
“We have many to thank for the new truck. We have our staff, we have Andrew who is working with NWMO, and we also have NWMO to thank for that fire truck,” said interim Mayor Kim Baigrie.
Fire Chief Sean DeTracey said the timing is perfect. The new pumper truck will replace their current truck, which is a serious liability issue for the town.
“The pumper that it's replacing is 33 years old. You're only supposed to have pumpers for 25 years. So, it's well past its date. It's not making its certifications anymore. The pump is not passing its certifications. It's not passing its road tests, so it's done,” DeTracey said.
The new pumper fire truck cost over $689,000 which came from the town’s near-term investment fund, which the organization provides for being one of the potential sites for the storage of Canada’s nuclear waste. The municipality will have to pay the HST.
“We are very pleased to be in a strong and committed relationship with the Township of Ignace and the presentation today of this brand-new Pumper Fire Truck to the community is an excellent example of how the established infrastructure fund is assisting potential host municipalities” stated Lise Morton, vice president of site selection for NWMO, in a release.
Ignace was provided with $4 million in a near-term investment fund that can be used for infrastructure improvements. To access the near-term investment fund, the municipality must meet specific criteria.
According to NWMO spokesperson Vince Ponka, the project must broadly benefit the town and be sustainable, the benefits are clear and reasonable, the project is achievable, the municipality must explore alternative funding streams, and future costs are managed by the municipality.
The near-term investment fund aids the town in needed infrastructure improvements. So far, the previous Council has used the near-term investment fund to repave the plaza parking lot and to create the seniors ‘urban art trail.
If the organization picks Ignace as a site for the deep geological respiratory in August 2024, the near-term investment could be critical for starting affordable housing, emergency services, and healthcare projects.
Baigrie states that the organization's revenue has no influence on her decisions and is willing to walk away from the NWMO if the community is not willing to be the host. However, she hopes Ignace is selected for the site.
“I hope we are the site selected, you know, with community willingness. We're working on that now,” said Baigrie.
