Volunteer fire department returns to Vancouver Island village after 4-month suspension
Residents of a village on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island can breathe a sigh of relief now that volunteer fire services have been reinstated in the community.
The Village of Zeballos announced its volunteer fire department had been re-activated in a statement Wednesday.
The volunteer fire department had temporarily suspended services in late May due to a lack of staff.
The suspension meant that over the past approximately four months, no response was to be expected if a fire occurred.
"The village would like to express [its] gratitude to the volunteers that put their names forward to commit to the support of this service," said the municipality in a statement Wednesday.
"Without you, the volunteers, Zeballos would have no fire department," the statement added.
Armin Grunert has been named the volunteer fire department's deputy fire chief, Ernie Smith was appointed captain and Erin Morin has taken on the role of risk management officer.
The municipality notes that volunteers are still welcome to join the department, with weekly practices held Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.
The village is asking residents to make sure they take precautions to avoid fires in the future.
Residents are encouraged to clean their chimneys, check their smoke alarms, and minimize fire hazards inside their homes and on their lawns.
"It's woodstove season, and as much as we appreciate our volunteer fire department, we hope to not have to send them to your house," reads the statement.
More information about the newly reinstated volunteer fire department is expected in the future, according to the village.
Zeballos council approved the reinstatement at a meeting on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.