More than 200 buildings and 400 residents living outside of Revelstoke may be at risk if the city and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) aren’t able to reach an agreement over who will provide firefighting services for the area by Jan. 1.
The city has provided fire services for residents of rural Revelstoke and Trout Lake since the 1980s, but according to a court document filed by the CSRD, the city wanted to terminate its agreement.
The district says it received a letter on Dec. 8, 2016, stating the city’s wish to terminate the agreement by the end of 2017.
However, the district argues the letter did not specify that the city would stop providing fire services starting Jan. 1, 2018, claiming it only found out about their intentions in September.
The district has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming it did not receive enough notice to make alternative arrangements, adding that setting up a fire hall and training people would take at least two years.
The district wants the court to stop the city from terminating its fire services to the area until December 2019, noting it has a common-law obligation to the district not to discontinue fire services.
The city declined an opportunity for an interview, but said it would be filing a response to the claims later this week.
None of these allegations have been proven in court.
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