Officials with Clearwater County are inviting the public to the grand opening of the new Leslieville Public Services Building (LPSB).

The grand opening is Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a meet and greet, beef on a bun dinner, followed by formal speeches and a ribbon cutting at 6:00 p.m, concluding with a ceremonial fire truck push in, facility tours and information displays.

Officials note construction of the LPSB began in mid-2020 and the building became operational in April 2021. The bulk of the LPSB houses Leslieville Fire Station 10 and the building consists of three apparatus bays, office space dedicated to training, meeting rooms, firefighter decontamination saunas/showers, a large fire pond and cistern.

Due to the pandemic social gathering restrictions, a public grand opening was not able to be scheduled until now.

Officials say the LPSB will also house a public works loader and equipment, have a bulk water fill station for County staff use, and be utilized by the County’s field staff when working in the region.

Officials add, the LPSB property will also include a large training centre that firefighters from all five of Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services (CRFRS) stations will attend for training. Once complete, it is expected to offer control over scheduling availability, training costs, and the ability to create specific scenarios that may be unique to the local response region. Phase one of the training facility for CRFRS was completed in Fall 2021.

Officials further point out the facility allows firefighters to maintain and improve their firefighting, rescue and leadership skills, and provide them the opportunity to continually maintain and comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) training certifications.

“In addition to the Condor Public Services Building in 2019, this is another great investment in the eastern portion of Clearwater County, as identified in past and current Council’s Strategic Plan,” said Reeve Daryl Lougeed. “Council is pleased to see this training facility for our CRFRS men and women to provide quality training for many generations to come.”