No firefighters coupled with looming training deadlines could spell disaster
To the Expositor:
First, I would like to thank The Expositor for the recent story about the status of preparedness of our volunteer firefighters with regards to the Office of the Fire Marshall guidelines on their obligation to obtain certification. This story by Ed Prudhomme was very thorough and informative.
As he correctly pointed out in the report, Islanders can be grateful for the dedication of the men and women volunteer firefighters and their commitment to the safety of their communities – something with which I completely agree.
I also believe it is important for community members to be informed about these matters since not only our health and safety, but also our pocketbooks, are directly affected by the local fire halls’ ability to meet the new provincial requirements.
These same issues lead to my concern about the decision several months ago by the Central Manitoulin fire chief to remove firefighting equipment from the Big Lake/Sandfield fire hall, leaving it empty, unmanned and effectively inactive. The pumper truck previously housed there is now in Mindemoya where “it will be more useful,” according to the chief.
The decision to move the vehicle took the last remaining volunteer firefighter by surprise and left him so upset that he resigned in protest. Over the past few years, the number of volunteers working out of the fire hall has dropped from 13 according to the chief to now zero.
This problem came to the attention of the Safety and Health Committee of Central Manitoulin council in October where it was revealed that town council had not been informed of the move either. To date, many if not most of my neighbors in Ward 3, still don’t know about it. This is cause for concern given that anyone whose residence is outside a 13-kilometre radius used as a benchmark by insurers to set premiums will now be facing a hefty increase in the cost of insurance. Quotes prepared at my request by a Manitoulin insurance broker show a difference of nearly $1,000 in premiums that would be paid in Sandfield compared to those paid by homeowners in Mindemoya with access to fire hydrants. This increase comes at a time when our municipal tax rate keeps rising (five percent in 2024), even though our services are being reduced.
At a subsequent meeting of the Committee, I made a presentation to raise awareness of the impacts the fire chief’s decision will have on our properties and the price we pay for insurance coverage and to ask for help from council. To my disappointment and dismay, these issues didn’t seem to concern the committee chair and my supposed ward representative, Rose Diebolt. I was shocked by the dismissiveness and disrespect she showed, telling me that “all of that is water under the bridge, we have moved on.”
Thankfully, the other Ward 3 councillor, Linda Farquhar, raised the idea of exploring whether Tehkummah township’s fire hall could respond to calls in an emergency since the Big Lake/Sandfield Hall no longer has volunteers or equipment. She asked for a motion to explore the costs of establishing a contract arrangement to do so.
In the meantime, the fire hall in Big Lake/Sandfield is now an empty shell. The chief insists it is still very much operational and that all he needs is more volunteer firefighters. Surprisingly, he even told council that nobody should worry in the event of a fire because his team from the Mindemoya fire hall could be in Sandfield in “three minutes” if necessary. I have serious doubts about that. What I know for sure is that our insurance premiums will go up, way up.
And all of that presumes that Central Township will even meet the Ontario Fire Marshall Office’s July 1, 2026 deadline to have all its members certified.
As Ed Prudhomme noted in his story, “If fire departments cannot certify their members in time, they may face restrictions on which services they can legally provide, meaning slower response times, fewer available responders, and reduced capacity to handle emergencies like structure fires, motor vehicle collisions or hazardous incidents.”
Should that happen, it won’t only be people living outside the 13-kilometre radius of the closest fire hall that will be raising a ruckus at council.
Sandra Hutchinson
Sandfield
