Tobiano Fire Department members posing with a new used truck in 2021 (Image credit: TNRD/File Photo).

By Michael Reeve

FIRE PROTECTION AREA

Referendum day arrives for residents of Cherry Creek and Tobiano

Jun 21, 2025 | 6:30 AM

KAMLOOPS — Residents in Tobiano and Cherry Creek will head to the polls on Saturday (June 21) to vote on a new Fire Protection Service that will cover both communities west of Kamloops.

They will be also asked to approve $2.5 million in borrowing to fund the construction of a new fire station at the corner of Buckhorn Road and Gardi Road, and the purchase of a fire engine and a water tender that would service a total of 648 properties.

“It’s an expansion of the existing fire protection area,” TNRD general manager of operations Jamie Vieira, said. “Really, the question is whether or not the residents support a combined fire service that included all the properties in Tobiano and Cherry Creek.”

“[It would approve] the creation of a new fire department to serve both areas as well as approve the borrowing for a fire hall that would serve both areas.”

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Polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and a simple majority is needed to determine the verdict. Should the proposition fail, Vieira said a new fire hall will still be needed in Tobiano.

“If this referendum is not approved, then we would go back to the drawing board solely with the residents in Tobiano to make a determination in how to move forward,” Vieira added. “We still need a fire hall, so if this is a ‘no,’ we would look at a fire hall exclusively in Tobiano and exclusively paid for by those residents.”

“But this model is a larger service area being considered, before we go down that route.”

Last month, the TNRD opted to move ahead with the referendum as directors did not raise a motion to postpone or scrap the vote, after a petition challenging the referendum process was presented.

It prompted Corine LeBourdais to call for the resignation of TNRD Area “J” Director Mike Grenier for “publicly ignoring the reasonable request of Cherry Creek.”

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District expects to have preliminary results either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Updates will be provided through their social media accounts.

For more on the referendum, including voting locations, go here.