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South Okanagan Photos

Osoyoos fire hall finally under way

firehall osoyoos22By ROY WOOD

The new Osoyoos fire hall should be open next fall, Mayor Sue McKortoff said Monday shortly before the sod turning ceremony at the Highway 97 and 74th Avenue site.

Earlier Monday, the town council announced that Greyback Construction, a Penticton-based company, is the successful bidder to build the $6-million new home for the Osoyoos Volunteer Fire Department.

A letter to the town from the project’s architect, KMBR, said the roughly $5.7-million bid from Greyback was the lowest and recommended it be accepted. Council approved the bid at a recent in-camera meeting.

At the sod-turning photo op, McKortoff said the event was the culmination of 10 years of work aimed at securing a new fire hall for the town.

A referendum was decisively passed in last year’s civic election authorizing the town to borrow about $6 million to build the facility.

The amount will be repaid over 30 years, shared amoung the town, the Osoyoos Rural Fire Protection District and the Osoyoos Indian Band. The town will pay the bulk.