The Rural Municipality of St. Laurent is getting a boost to keep its residents safe.
The provincial government announced that the RM will receive $472,500 for the purchase of a new 2026 fire truck.
The department currently relies on an aging pumper truck, but with a new fire truck on the way, they'll soon have two in service. The older truck is expected to stay operational for another four years, giving the team some much-needed backup and flexibility.
Richard Chartrand is the reeve for the RM of St. Laurent.
"Myself, the council, and our CAO were very pleased with the timing of it. We're in the middle of completing and submitting our financial budget for the year," said Chartrand. "This gives us quite a bit of breathing room, so we could allocate some of the money elsewhere. It's a breath of fresh air for us."
In 2024, the St. Laurent Fire Department responded to 10 motor vehicle collisions, nine grass fires, three lift assists, 15 alarm responses, two equipment fires, one Stars landing, three structure fires, two mutual aid requests, one other agency assist, and two other medical responses.
Chad Malfait is now the fire chief, and as Chartrand says, everything is running more smoothly. This was after several members were dismissed from the force.
"He's 110 percent into this; he wants to keep our residents safe," ended Chartrand. "We now have 19 firefighters, and they're all willing to take the training and take courses. They attend drill nights. You can tell the morale has increased."
The new fire truck for the station is expected to arrive in two years.
