MOUNT STEWART, P.E.I. — The troubled Mount Stewart Fire Department may get snuffed out.
Heated conflict over the department has reached a fevered pitch, rekindling a major dispute that saw the municipality’s council dissolved in late 2017.
The fallout is considerable.
Eddie Doyle has resigned as fire chief. Five other firefighters have followed suit.
Mount Stewart Mayor Maxine Jay-Doucette and Coun. Patricia Doucette have stepped down over this rural municipality’s firestorm.
Jay-Doucette also resigned from council in 2017 to prevent a motion to close the MSFD from proceeding.
Then-Coun. Frank Walker told The Guardian in December 2017 the fire department should be closed due to numerous inadequacies.
He noted an audit conducted by Fire Marshall Dave Rossiter highlighted concerns with equipment and training not being up to snuff.
Clearly, concerns remain today.
A special council meeting was held Wednesday to evaluate options for providing fire service to this community, located about 20 kilometres east of Charlottetown.
Coun. Stacey Denise Evans said the battle over the fire department’s tenuous future has pitted residents against one another.
“It’s an unhealthy level of attachment,’’ she said of some strong and vocal supporters of the MSFD, which currently has a meagre firefighting force of just seven volunteers.
“It’s a huge source of conflict.’’
Council also raised concern with the fact some of the remaining firefighters are lacking in experience and training.
Long-time Mount Stewart resident Sherry Feehan is not the least bit comfortable with the current fire service.
“We feel very unsafe because of the lack of qualifications from the few firefighters that we do have,’’ she told The Guardian Wednesday night.
“I want what is safest for my house and for my family if we have a fire.’’
She described a meeting held Tuesday night by the MSFD aimed at updating the status of the fire department as a “shit show’’ that was “pretty heated”.
Last month, Rossiter recommended council get its firefighter numbers up to what it had and get them trained or seek service from another provider.
Rossiter cannot force council’s hand. Council is in charge of the fire service provided to the municipality.
“They assume all liability,’’ he said.
Rossiter added his only concern with a fire happening in Mount Stewart today with the municipality’s fire department considerably undermanned is that MSFD make a call for mutual aid right away.
Council anticipates holding an open meeting in mid-April to present “concise facts’’ to be considered in determining whether to stick with the MSFD or to seek a contract with East River Fire Department.
“I want what’s best for our community,’’ said Coun. Kristine Crann.
“I want what’s best for my home.’’
Evans said the future of the municipality, not just the MSFD, is up in the air.
She said Mount Stewart, with a population of roughly 220, is existing “by the skin of our teeth’’ and is threatened to become a non-incorporated community.
