The Barrhaven South community welcomed Fire Station 47 to the neighbourhood today with a grand opening celebration attended by Mayor Jim Watson, my fellow Councillors Councillor Jan Harder, Mark Taylor, Scott Moffatt and Marianne Wilkinson, Ottawa Fire Chief John deHooge, city staff and local residents.

“This new fire station will mean faster emergency response times and greater peace of mind for the residents of this growing community,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “It will also help conserve energy and save money thanks to its sustainable design.”

The newly constructed three-bay, 12,250-square-foot station is the result of a $9.2 million investment by the City and will house the Ottawa Fire Services’ fire hose repair and maintenance depot. Ottawa Fire Services provides this service in-house, saving the City money, while providing quality assurance to firefighters.

Fire Station 47 was designed to incorporate sustainable design features that will reduce energy consumption, lessen water usage, efficiently improve heating and cooling capacities, while using natural, renewable, recycled and regionally produced materials in the construction.

The new station features all the spatial requirements needed by the fire crews deployed there, including equipment storage, a gear room, a dorm and kitchen, a hose tower, office area, lobby, exercise room, watch room and training spaces.

The Barrhaven South fire station is the first structure to be built in the area of Greenbank and Cambrian Roads and will soon be joined by a recreation complex, an elementary school, parkland and sports fields. The result will be centralized services that meet the needs of area residents.