Nova Scotia fire dept. donates truck to Archerwill, Sask. after devastating blaze
The Village of Archerwill, population 153, was without a fire department for an unforeseen amount of time due to a fire that occurred in its fire hall.
A fire truck gifted to the Archerwill Fire Department arrived on July 3 after travelling 3,997 km from Nova Scotia.
The Shinimicas Fire Department heard about the devastating fire at the Archerwill Fire Hall, and they felt the need to help.
The Shinimicas Fire Department donated their “Squad 3” fire truck. They purchased this truck after a fire they had in 2020 to operate as a rescue unit to carry gear and firefighters and eventually used it as a pumper truck while their new one was being built. Earlier this year, the Shinimicas Fire Department conducted a needs assessment and decided to put the apparatus up for sale but then learned of a small rural department in Archerwill, Saskatchewan, that suffered a devastating fire loss.
A fire department from Nova Scotia decided to help and offered “Squad 3” free of charge to the Archerwill Fire Department. RM of Barrier Valley Administrator Glenda Smith said that a 2003 Fort Garry HME Custom pumper truck arrived in Archerwill on Wednesday from the Shinimicas Fire Department.
The Village of Archerwill, population 153, was without a fire department for an unforeseen amount of time due to a fire that occurred in its fire hall on Feb. 17. The loss included firefighting equipment, fire suits, PPE inside the building, two pumper fire trucks, and one wildland truck.
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The Archerwill Fire Department has purchased a 2012 F350 for its wildland truck and a 1996 GMC Topkick fire truck to replace its equipment.
Steve Christianson, the Archerwill Fire Department’s fire chief, said the renovations to the fire hall are probably 50 percent complete.
Smith said the front part of the fire hall had been insulated and the tin put back on. The back insulation is done, the doors have been removed, and the flooring will be done next week. Smith said the PPE has been replaced, and they are still replacing the building’s contents, such as the compressor and other equipment.
Currently, the Tisdale and Rose Valley Fire departments cover the area for the Archerwill department, which responds to 10 to 15 calls annually.
This story was originally published in the Humboldt Journal. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
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