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Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade receives $150,000 funding for new response unit

September 17, 2023, Harbour Grace, NL — On Sept. 12 and 13, community members, the mayor and town councillors, along with the members of The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade, came together for two funding announcements.

On Sept. 12 at the brigade’s social building, they were joined by Premier Dr. Andrew Furey, area MHA Pam Parsons, who is the Minister Responsibility for Women and Gender Equality, and Fire Commissioner Robert Fowler. The first announcement was $150,000 for the purchase of a new response unit housing all the high angle rescue team’s equipment. Presently, the brigade’s equipment is stored in the firehall and has to be exchanged with other response equipment before answering the call for assistance. The funding was based on a cost sharing agreement between the provincial government and the municipality. The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade’s high angle rescue team is the only team in the area and provides coverage from Holyrood to Bay De Verde.

On Sept. 13, they were joined by Victoria Battcock, manager of digital marketing and communications for Trades NL. Battcock presented a cheque in the amount of $7,000 to firefighter Bobby Lynch. The funds were attained by the brigade from an application submitted by Lynch to Trades NL in conjunction with former Chief Jim Barnes. The funding is part of the Trades NL Community Giving Program, which organizations applied for in the spring of 2023. The fire department applied for the Health and Wellness Impact Grant, which is awarded to selected initiatives that will have an immediate impact on the health and well-being of communities by enhancing programming, equipment or facilities.

Brigade members Chief Dave Earle and firefighter Bobby Lynch with manager of digital marketing and communications for Trades NL, Victoria Battcock. Photo credit Jocelyn Ledwell

Trades NL is an organization that represents 14 building trades unions in Newfoundland and Labrador. Part of their mandate is giving back to communities across the province. There are five building trades union members on the fire brigade, and Trades NL says without the workers, the community giving program would not exist.

Battcock spoke on behalf of Trades NL’s executive director, Darin King, and said: “Volunteer firefighters are heroes in our communities, and we are proud to support Harbour Grace and the entire region with this donation…Bobby and Jim truly went above and beyond to ensure that we understood the importance of the anticipated high angle rescue equipment. The community should be proud of them and the entire brigade for their dedication.”