Summerside resolves to buy generator in move to make St. Eleanors city's emergency hub
'You never know when there might be another weather event'
The city of Summerside is buying a new 60 kW generation system at St. Eleanors Community Centre and Fire Hall.
The plan is for the community centre to become the city's primary emergency station.
Councillor Cory Snow chair of the community services department committee said the decision to find an emergency station came after noticing some "insufficient areas of our system" during last fall's post-tropical storm Dorian.
"The safety of our residents is paramount when it comes to issues like Dorian," he said, "So we determined that the St. Eleanors Fire Hall was the best location."
Snow said the community centre can easily hold 200 people and was chosen because of it's accessibility as a one-level building, making it easier for people with mobility issues to get around.
Power to the entire building
On Tuesday night's regular meeting, council passed a resolution to purchase the diesel generator.
The tender was awarded to R.I.K.S. Electrical for $86,250.
Greg Gaudet, the municipal services director with the City of Summerside said the generator will be capable of running up to 80 hours at a time, meaning it can power the entire building.
"That's full heat, full services, full kitchen."
He said there's also a level 2 sound enclosure for the generator which will lower noise levels for the community when it runs.
Snow said construction is set to begin in April.
"I'm very glad to see that we're moving ahead, seeing that you never know when there might be another weather event that displaces residents in our city," he said.