Construction refusals and fire station location troubles

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A denied construction request, by notable local Paul Desmarais, and complaints concerning the location of the new fire hall in Fitch Bay, figured prominently at Stanstead Township’s monthly meeting Dec. 11.

The issue with Desmarais’ request was the number of trees that would need to be cut to make way for his proposed building, said Director General Matthieu Simoneau in a Dec. 12 interview. Their bylaws allow for a building the size Desmarais wanted, but it was to be built in a forested area. The intended building was an 800 square meter waterfront principal residence including an indoor tennis court.

Georgeville, a town in Stanstead Township, used to have its own firehall, but the recent opening of a large, new firehall in nearby Fitch Bay, which now serves the whole area, caused the Georgeville firehall to be closed down. It was part of the plan from the beginning, Simoneau explained, that all the local firetrucks and equipment would be housed in the new firehall. The difference in location was expressly validated as not a safety issue before construction, he noted.

However, anyone who lives further than 8 km from a firehall must pay more in insurance, which some residents are newly realizing and find problematic. There is no real possibility or “avenue” to change these circumstances, Simoneau said; it was one of the conditions of approval for the new firehall that everything be moved there at a central location. “It’s more effective… It’s important to have the best infrastructure possible to respond to emergencies.”

In a general update, Simoneau noted the Fitch Bay Road construction is almost completed. A few details, remain, but the road is now “beautiful new asphalt”. The council will be looking for a grant in the future to fix up the local covered bridge. Other roads in Fitch Bay are on the docket for maintenance, likely in 2025.