Piccadilly Fire Substation, “It's A Garage With A Pickup In It”

Craig Bakay | Mar 06, 2024

Putting a piece of ‘fire apparatus’ in Piccadilly would be an expensive process, Fire Chief Chris McDonough told Central Frontenac Council at its regular meeting Feb. 27 in Sharbot Lake.

CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said it would require going back to the budget process, which is essentially done for 2024.

McDonough was responding to a letter from District 4 Coun. Phillip Smith and Nicki Gowdy, in which they made several accusations regarding the equipment in the Piccadilly Hall, how that affected fire protection and the Township’s water shuttle rating, which affects homeowners insurance rates.

Several years ago, then-Chief Mark McDonald stationed a pickup truck outfitted with a foam generator that he said could be used for things like cottage fires on lanes the larger vehicles couldn’t get down.

Subsequent fire chiefs didn’t see the vehicle as suitable to the Township’s needs and it was replaced with a quad-cab that the Fire Department uses for medical calls, staffing support and transporting firefighters for training. It doesn’t have the towing capacity to pull things like forest fire gear or even a heavy load in the pickup base.

“It’s essentially a passenger vehicle now,” McDonough said.

The Smith/Gowdy letter also alleged that removal of the foam unit made the water shuttle certification “null and void for the entire Township.”

McDonough said that simply isn’t true. Areas within 8 kilometres of the stations in Arden, Mountain Grove, Sharbot Lake and Parham still retain the certification. Piccadilly never did as it would require a pumper and at least 15 firefighters stationed there to be considered.

“Piccadilly is not fire station,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “It’s a garage with a pickup in it.”

In his report, McDonough recommended a resolution that his report be accepted and the ‘fire apparatus’ not be reinstated at Piccadilly.

In a recorded vote, the measure was defeated 5-4 with Coun. Smith, Gowdy, Dan Meeks, Duncan McGregor and Cindy Kelsey voting no.

“It’s one thing to keep a medical vehicle there but to suggest to people they’re going to get a fire fighting vehicle there is an empty promise,” said Mayor Smith. “What we’re voting on is there won’t be a fire truck that spews water but there will be a vehicle there for medical purposes.”

But with that motion defeated, they were left with what to do with the station.

“(If you want to do something there) you’re going to have to find the money in the budget,” warned MacMunn.

Gowdy presented a motion to have the Chief look into vehicle options for the garage and come back to Council with costs, etc.

That motion passed but Mayor Smith warned that they may just be opening a can of worms.

“Henderson doesn’t have coverage, Clarendon doesn’t have coverage,” she said. “Are you going to have one for the north and west and east?”

Bylaw Enforcement

James Thompson, South Frontenac Clerk and Lianne Ruttan of Frontenac Bylaw Enforcement gave Council a run-down on how the Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) program has been working in South Frontenac since its inception in July of 2022.

“It’s an important topic and something we need to know because we are thinking of doing this,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

“It’s essentially a parking ticket for bylaw infractions,” Thompson said.

For things like the dog bylaw, noise bylaw, trailer bylaw, waste management bylaw and zoning bylaw, offenders are essentially issued a ticket (which can be as high as $500) and issued a directive to correct the problem.

AMPs are allowed under The Municipal Act and in 2023, South Frontenac issued about 85 AMPs for a total of about $40,000, which Thompson said paid for about half of the bylaw enforcement costs (which include Frontenac Bylaw Enforcement costs and various legal fees.

Strategic Plan

Council heard a presentation on its draft Strategic Plan and authorized Capital Park Consulting to prepare the final document for the March 26 meeting for adoption.

Speed Zones

Staff is still working on the final Speed Zone Bylaw, which will be brought back to a future meeting.

Oso Beach Washroom

Council lent its support to the Central Frontenac Washroom Committee in its bid (with the Sharbot Lake Business Group) to obtain a Trillium Grant.

Special Events Policy

Staff were given approval to draft a Special Events Policy that will apply to things like music events at Oso Beach. It was specified that ball and hockey tournaments would not be affected by the policy.