Fund Barriere firehall and truck
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to fund construction of a new Barriere firehall, fund a modern ladder truck for Barriere Fire Rescue, and ensure small rural communities get needed emergency-resilience resources.
Why we would sign this petition
- A new firehall and ladder truck would shorten response times and strengthen emergency response capacity against increasingly severe wildfires and climate-related emergencies.
- Modern facilities provide safer working conditions and proper training space for volunteer firefighters, helping retain and prepare local responders.
- Barriere’s fire service supports nearby communities and a First Nation under mutual aid agreements, so upgrades would improve regional resilience and road rescue capability.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Federal funding requests compete with other national priorities and would require allocating limited federal dollars, which may be contested.
- Municipal, provincial or regional authorities may be better placed to fund local fire infrastructure, raising jurisdictional and cost-sharing questions.
- Less costly alternatives—renovating the existing hall, sharing regional assets, or phased equipment upgrades—might achieve similar benefits more affordably.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled Whereas: the District of Barriere, British Columbia, remains highly vulnerable to wildfires and other climate-related emergencies, having experienced the devastating McLure-Barriere wildfire of 2003, which destroyed homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and the community's largest employer; the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires and other climate-related emergencies means emergency preparedness capacity needed to protect residents, businesses, and surrounding communities is not only essential but urgent; Barriere Fire Rescue provides services not just to Barriere but also to Simpcw First Nation through a mutual aid agreement, to the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) Area O, Rural Road Rescue including Highway 5, Agate Bay Road, Dunn Lake Road, Westsyde Road, Barriere Lakes Road, and various other regional emergency support services; the existing firehall is more than 70 years old, has exceeded its useful life, lacks the capacity to support modern firefighting operations and volunteer training, and cannot accommodate the equipment required to meet current fire protection standards; and a new firehall will ensure quicker response times, improved training spaces, safer working conditions for our volunteer firefighters, and better coordination during emergencies. This new facility won't just benefit the fire department - it will support the safety and resilience of our entire region, enhancing fire protection, emergency response, and disaster readiness for years to come. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Provide federal funding to support the construction of a new firehall for the District of Barriere; 2. Provide federal funding to support the acquisition of a modern ladder truck for Barriere Fire Rescue, a volunteer department; and 3. Ensure that small rural communities like Barriere, receive the resources they need to be safe, resilient and prepared.
Government response
No government response is available yet.