“We started in May,” explained Mayor Craig Walsh at a barbecue Thursday to thank those who helped the village see the project to fruition.
Walsh said recently the village has added to the fire department’s equipment.
“We needed to upgrade our equipment, and we outgrew the size of the old hall,” he said.
So the village undertook to build a 40X60 building to house their fire truck, two water carriers, command vehicles and associated gear.
The overall project had a price tag of $190,000, with the Village agreeing to cover any costs beyond what could be raised through donations, said Walsh.
“We’ve budgeted this as a five-year capital project to fund anything we can’t raise,” he explained.
So far fundraising has collected some $70,000 including $25,000 from Richardson Pioneer, $10,000 each from LDC and the Rural Municipality of Wallace, with the RM’s of Sliding Hills and Calder each adding $5,000, while Redhead Equipment chipped in $2,000 and Outdoor Sporting and Construction and Rhein Creek Farms both $2,500, with Rhein Sno Cruzers and Assiniboine Valley Transfer each adding $1,000.
Walsh said the support has been regional because the fire department rolls out to calls “within a 35-mile radius of Rhein,” adding those calls include 10-15 fires such as the call to a grain dryer fire in the midst of cheque donation photos Thursday.
“They had the fire under control very quickly and controlled it from spreading to any buildings, and was able to get it out before any major damage to the grain dryer,” said Walsh Friday, adding “with some minor repairs, it should be operational in a short period of time.”
The department, which has 18-members, also responds to 15-20 motor vehicle accidents each year, said Walsh.
