Government will invest $675,000 to upgrade PEI’s fleet of forest fire trucks as part of a five-year capital budget announced last week.
Minister Jamie Ballem highlighted the Environment, Energy and Forestry capital budget in the legislature today.
“From fire trucks and boats to laboratory equipment and ponds, the capital budget will support a wide variety of department programs. The one thing all of the capital funding projects have in common is that they will result in improved service to Islanders.”
The department has a forest fire fleet of six trucks and two bombardier all-terrain tankers. The five-year capital funding project will allow the department to replace four of the older trucks starting in 2008/09.
“In cooperation with volunteer fire departments throughout PEI, provincial forest fire command staff provide an invaluable service to Islanders, protecting people and property and our natural environment. This new equipment will enable firefighters to continue to provide a high level of service,” said Minister Ballem.
Two of the trucks to be replaced are under contract with volunteer fire departments which are responsible for responding to forest fires in a much larger area than their fire district. These departments can use the trucks to assist with other fire suppression activities in their community when the equipment is not required for forest fire control.
The capital budget also includes $100,000 to replace three small boats used by provincial Water Management staff to collect surface water samples to assess water quality and carry out surveys and studies.
“Two boats are used daily for much of the open water season to collect samples to determine the location of shellfish growing area closures – a service that is critical to the operation of the shellfish industry,” Minister Ballem added.
In other initiatives, a five-year, $615,000 capital funding project for management of ponds and impoundments has been extended another year with an additional $200,000 budgeted. This year, a major restoration project was carried out at Arsenault’s Pond in Egmont Bay; design work was done for restoration work at Leard’s Pond in Coleman; and fish ladders were repaired at Cass’s Pond in Covehead, Indian River Dam, Gordon’s Pond in Huntley and Murphy’s Pond in Millvale. Work is now underway to prioritize projects to be carried out in 2007.
This year’s capital budget also includes almost $4.2 million to renovate the existing vocational section of Holland College Royalty Centre and bring the PEI Analytical Laboratories (PEIAL) under one roof. Currently housed in three separate facilities, the PEIAL provides a wide variety of laboratory services to Islanders including drinking water testing. Minister Ballem said the consolidation will provide easier access for Islanders and result in more efficient use of staff time and lab equipment. The capital budget includes the continuation of funding for new equipment for the PEIAL. A total of $894,500 is being invested in lab equipment over the five years, with $430,000 budgeted in 2007/08.