Construction is now underway on a brand new fire hall on the city’s west side.

Fire Station #5 is being built in the Watermark neighbourhood west of Sunridge and Varsity Village and is slated to open and be in full operation next year.

Project Manager Jace Adams says people will notice this building will be taking shape in short order. “The new fire Station is made of precast concrete wall panels. This means, concrete panels are pre-constructed and then craned in place at the site. Because of this, residents will see the building go up quite quickly.”

The current west Lethbridge fire hall, Station #2 on Jerry Potts Boulevard, was built back in 1980. That’s when the west side had around 4,000 residents. Fast forward to today and that fire hall remains the only one on that side of the river with the population ballooning to over 40,000 people.

“West Lethbridge continues to be the fastest growing area of the city,” says Greg Adair, Deputy Fire Chief with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. “This new building will not only fill the current need but to also address what our community will need for future growth.”

Adair notes Fire Station #5 will employ 25 people who will be trained and ready to go when the building is complete along with new firefighting equipment and apparatus.

The cost of this new one is around $10.3 million and was approved by City Council two years ago.

For more information visit: www.lethbridge.ca/firestation5.

(With files from City of Lethbridge)