The Township of Lake of Bays and Town of Huntsville will no longer be operating as a share fire department.
On July 28, Lake of Bays Council decided to end the joint fire service with Huntsville, giving an 18-month transition period to allow both municipalities to prepare and establish their own independent fire departments.
Geoff Carleton, Chief Administrative Officer of the Township, said the decision was made because both municipalities have evolved, and Council wanted to ensure the current arrangement would continue to meet the community’s future needs.
“Through this process, we identified a divergence in growth patterns, with each municipality facing different types of development and fire risk. Looking ahead, we recognized that a made-in-Lake of Bays approach will allow us to tailor staffing, training, recruitment, equipment, and emergency planning to suit our unique geography and work around the evolving needs of our community,” he said.
Carleton said they are grateful for the strong partnership they have shared with the Town of Huntsville since the original Fire Service Agreement was established over a decade ago.
“We will continue to join forces where it makes sense, while also recognizing that sometimes the best path is to tailor solutions around the unique needs of each community,” added Carleton.
Denise Corry, Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Huntsville, said the region has seen “an enormous amount of change” in the past few years.
Corry said she is confident the Township is now well-positioned to provide its own independent fire services, thanks to the solid foundation that was established by the joint service.
“We know the Huntsville/Lake of Bays fire department leadership and staff will handle this transition with the utmost professionalism and will continue to be a trusted and valuable community resource,” said Corry.
Officials said during the transition months, the Town of Huntsville will continue to provide services as outlined in the Fire Department Administration Service Agreement to the Township of Lake of Bays through the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department.
According to officials, the full operational transition is expected to be in place by early 2027.
