Dashwood Fire Hall Replacement Project

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is pleased to announce the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department (DVFD) Fire Hall Replacement project is entering its next phase. Demolition of the fire hall, located on Hobbs Road in Qualicum Beach, has begun. Following demolition, the site will be prepared for the construction of the new fire hall, which is anticipated to be completed in late 2024.

The new fire hall design is based on a collaboration between the RDN and DVFD to standardize the design of main and smaller satellite fire halls in the region. Dashwood will be the first to implement the new design which will meet current building and seismic standards while providing an improved layout for training and maintaining equipment. The new fire hall will feature:

• Two drive through bays for up to four pieces of apparatus
• A public entrance with an administration area
• Separate areas for radio communications, IT, mechanical, electrical, sprinklers, gear, storage, training, offices and laundry which did not exist in the current fire hall
• Two washrooms and gear/equipment decontamination areas
• A workshop for gear and equipment maintenance
• A room for self-contained breathing apparatus cleaning, maintenance and compressor refill

The health and wellness of the DVFD staff and volunteers was a primary consideration in the new design. It will meet WorkSafeBC requirements for gear storage, cleaning, and the decontamination of members and fire fighting equipment as part of efforts to reduce the risk of job-related cancers. The design also considers future growth by: allowing for an additional bay, creating a second floor that will support expanded growth, and constructing an engineered pad for a future hose drying tower and training needs.

For information on the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department, visit dashwoodvfd.com, and for fire services in the RDN, visit rdn.bc.ca/fire-services.

The amendment to the Dashwood Fire Hall service bylaw to facilitate additional borrowing of up to $2,243,662 to finance the costs of constructing a fire hall to serve the Dashwood Fire Hall Service Area was approved through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) that concluded at 4 p.m. on June 27, 2022. As funding for this property acquisition requires the borrowing of funds that would be repaid over a period not to exceed 25 years, the AAP addressed two bylaws, “Dashwood Fire Hall Service Amendment Bylaw No. 1785.01, 2022” and “Dashwood Fire Hall Loan Authorization Amendment Bylaw No. 1789.01, 2022”.

The AAP was conducted in accordance with Section 86 of the Community Charter. Of an estimated 1,542 electors in the service area, 18 valid elector response forms were received by the deadline in opposition to Bylaw No. 1785.01 and Bylaw No. 1789.01. Approval for the bylaws was obtained as less than 10 per cent of electors within the respective service areas submitted an elector response form by the June 27, 2022, response deadline.

As the 10 per cent threshold was not met, the RDN can proceed with borrowing an additional $2,243,662 to finance the costs of constructing a fire hall to serve the Dashwood Fire Hall Service Area. The Dashwood fire hall budget is now $6,462,662 with up to $6,243,662 authorized to be borrowed over 25 years.

For more information on the Alternative Approval Process and details on the approved bylaws visit Dashwood Fire Hall Alternative Approval Process.

Pending approval, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is proposing to amend the Dashwood Fire Hall service bylaw to facilitate additional borrowing of up to $2,243,662 to be repaid over a period not to exceed 25 years in order to finance the costs of constructing a fire hall to serve the Dashwood Fire Hall Service Area within the Regional District of Nanaimo.

Before the purchase can proceed, affected electors must approve the “Dashwood Fire Hall Service Amendment Bylaw No. 1785.01, 2022” and “Dashwood Fire Hall Loan Authorization Amendment Bylaw No. 1789.01, 2022”.

This will be done through the Alternative Approval Process (AAP), which begins on May 18, 2022.

Please visit rdn.bc.ca/DashwoodFireHallAAP for further information.

Want to see what the new Dashwood fire hall will look like? Take a look at our video models!

On February 8, 2022, the Regional District of Nanaimo Board approved initiating an alternative approval process in order to obtain elector approval to amend the service establishment bylaw and the loan authorization bylaw to increase the maximum requisition amount and borrowing required to replace the Dashwood fire hall.

The bylaws are forwarded for an approval decision by the Inspector of Municipalities. Processing time averages between six and eight weeks. Once approved, the RDN will commence the alternative approval process (AAP). Information on the AAP for local governments can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/consent-approval-electors/approval-of-the-electors/alternative-approval-process .

Stay tuned for more details.

Phase three of the six phase project is now complete. Phase three consists of the design development drawings including a Class B estimate. The Class B estimate costs total $4,956,506 approximately $979,000 over the previous February 2019 estimate. The $979,000 is generally the cost escalation that has occurred since 2019. The Class B estimate recommends that in addition to the $979,000, that a budget allocation be included for the consultant fees, third party costs and contingencies for future escalation, project contingency and construction contingency for unforeseen items that may arise. The project budget is recommended to increase to $6,462,662. The RDN Board of Directors endorsed a recommendation to increase the budget, draft bylaw amendments and elector approval documents for consideration by the Board, and allocate funds to undertake a secondary elector approval process.

The bylaws and associated elector approval documents are anticipated to be brought back to the Board in February 2022 for consideration.

The Praxis Architecture consultant team comprised of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, geotechnical, survey and quantity surveyor representatives have been meeting monthly with progress updates. The project has been divided into six phases which include:

• Phase 1 – Pre-Design
• Phase 2 – Schematic Design
• Phase 3 – Design Development
• Phase 4 – Construction Documentation
• Phase 5 – Construction Procurement
• Phase 6 – Construction Administration

Currently phase 1 and 2 are complete and work is well underway in Phase 3.

At the September 15, 2020 Regional District of Nanaimo Board of Directors meeting, the Board passed a motion to enter into a contract with Praxis Architecture Company for detailed drawing plans for the fire hall layout, engineered plans for the electrical, mechanical, structural and civil that meet current building code requirements.

In light of the economic impact of COVID-19 and in discussion with the Dashwood Fire Department Society and Dashwood Fire Chief, the RDN is placing the construction of the Dashwood fire hall on hold and will re-assess in September 2020.

The Dashwood Fire Hall replacement project was approved through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) that concluded on Friday, July 26, 2019. The AAP addressed two bylaws, the "Dashwood Fire Hall Service Area Establishment Bylaw No. 1785, 2019" and " Dashwood Fire Hall Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1789, 2019". The first bylaw establishes a fire protection service area within Electoral Areas F, G, and H and the second authorizes the borrowing of up to $4,000,000 (Four Million Dollars) to be repaid within 25 years in order to finance the fire hall replacement.

In accordance with Section 86 of the Community Charter, approval by AAP was obtained for this project when less than 10% of electors within the service area submitted an elector response form by the July 26, 2019 response deadline. Of an estimated 1,751 electors, 9 eligible response forms were received.

The complete News Release is available here.