A building concept for the new Upper Clearwater fire station. (Image Credit: Upper Clearwater Volunteer Fire Brigade)

By Victor Kaisar

New Fire Station

Upper Clearwater Volunteer Fire Brigade to break ground on new fire station

Oct 18, 2025 | 8:00 AM

CLEARWATER, B.C. — The Upper Clearwater Volunteer Fire Brigade (UCVFB) is working toward an ambitious plan to build a new fire station that will become its new permanent base of operations.

UCVFB President Cathy Armstrong says a Saturday (Oct. 18) afternoon groundbreaking ceremony will commemorate the efforts to improve fire protection in the Clearwater valley.

“Last November, Ursula and Fritz Schaer, residents of the valley, donated 10 acres of land to the fire brigade and then we had Anne and Roland Neave commit to a very large donation for us to get started,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong told CFJC Today that the donation allowed the UCVFB to order the prefabricated steel structure that will become the new fire station — called Schaer Hall — at 5673 Clearwater Valley Road.

“We have the land and we have the building materials and we have just put in a grant application in order to work toward having the money for all the rest that will be required,” Armstrong said.

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“This isn’t like you would imagine a fire hall to be. This is a building that will be a steel storage building that will fit our three vehicles and equipment. It will certainly be secure and it would become potentially useful for any kind of emergency evacuation, fire, earthquake or any kind of natural disaster.”

If the grant comes though, Armstrong says the UCVFB will have raised about $380,000, which is roughly 90 per cent of its total goal.

“We’ll still need a few things like a septic field and a well, as well as a driveway, so we’re looking to raise another $100,000 to get us to completion,” Armstrong said. “We just got charitable status so we’re able to issue tax receipts which has made a big difference.”

“If the grant doesn’t come through, then we’re looking to raise about $250,000 to completely finish the project, but we can get the building up and secured and then we’ll work at raising the money.”

Armstrong said work on the new fire station is expected to begin in earnest next year, with the hope that the facility will be operational by 2027.

“The new hall is very close to where we were based out of before. We’re operating from the boundary of the District of Clearwater all the way up to the entrance to Wells Gray Park, but we’ve gone into the park when we’re needed,” she said.

“This summer, there was a vehicle accident where a car rolled off the road and burst into flames, so those kinds of things. We are the first response and we can get there quickly, we can have water on the situation and that can make all the difference.”

Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony will get underway at 3:00 p.m., with a barbecue social at the airport hangar to follow at 5:00 p.m. Armstrong said the event is open to all residents of the Upper Clearwater Valley as well as to members of local emergency services.

“Volunteer fire brigades operate out of the goodness of the local community so it’s volunteer time and then it’s also going after organizations like the Wells Gray Community Forest Society to get money to buy equipment and trucks,” Armstrong said.

“It’s all operated out of local support, unlike a city or town that has a tax base to work on, but it also means there is big buy-in from the community.”

“Clearwater was rated the number one place at risk of fire in a recent survey done, so we know the risk is real,” she added. “We’re surrounded by wilderness and we also have a big tourist population that comes into our area.”

“Now, we’ll have a permanent place to provide fire protection.”