New fire staff quarters opens up in Pickle Lake

The new staff quarters at the Pickle Lake aviation and forest fire attack base are now open.
The $4.5-million facility replaces a 60-year-old one that was deteriorating and outdated.
This is the final step in the modernization and upgrading of the Pickle Lake complex. An enlarged and relocated main building and outbuildings opened in 2004.
The staff quarters will house up to 30 seasonal firefighting staff, as well as 12 aerial operations and support staff.
The Pickle Lake base’s strategic location gives it a critical role in ensuring a fast and efficient response by the Ministry of Natural Resources’ fire management program in the northwest.
The project was part of “ReNew Ontario,” the provincial government’s five-year, $30-billion-plus investment plan to upgrade and modernize Ontario’s infrastructure.
“Our fire staff have a tough job,” said Natural Resources minister Donna Cansfield. “Modern, efficient facilities help us attract and retain the skilled, experienced people we need.”
“Pickle Lake’s new staff quarters are just one example of how we are bringing our public infrastructure into the 21st century,” said Energy and Infrastructure minister George Smitherman.
“Through programs like ‘ReNew Ontario’ to upgrade infrastructure, this government is committed to strengthening communities across the province,” he noted.