THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA The Union Bay project has the more straightforward origin story. The existing fire hall in the community was built in the 1930s – constructed by volunteer firefighters with their own hands – and it has simply outlived its usefulness. Modern fire apparatus can no longer fit through its doors. The building is overcrowded. And perhaps most critically, it sits on the wrong side of the highway, forcing firefighters to park and run across a busy highway to respond to calls. Through deliberate planning, the CVRD acquired a new parcel of land and launched the process of designing a facility that will serve the community for the next three to four decades. Bruce worked closely with the local fire chief and engaged Simcic Architecture Studio to translate the department’s vision into buildable plans – a back-and-forth process that took approximately six months of refinement before the project went to tender. When they were selecting a construction partner for that project, Bruce says cost was naturally a consideration, but it was far from the only one. “We’re looking ideally for somebody that’s local, that’s hiring local people,” he explains. “What do they do? How do they give back to their community? How involved are they within the community that we’re building in? Because when you’re spending six million dollars on a structure, you want to make sure the quality is going to be there and that they’re willing to work with you through the process.”
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