Springhill and area residents came together on Saturday, June 21, 2025, to celebrate a significant milestone in the opening of its new fire station on Miners’ Memorial Drive.
Members of the Springhill Fire Department were joined by residents, municipal representatives and fire chiefs from other Cumberland County fire departments to help mark the occasion that included cutting the ribbon to officially open the new 11,000 square-foot facility. The ribbon-cutting was followed by guided tours of the facility that replaces the former fire station on Main Street that served as the department’s home since 1972.
“This facility is a significant investment in our department, in the Cumberland Fire Service and in our community,” Chief Matthew Ward said. “Designed to meet the needs of the modern fire service, it provides greater space, greater safety and greater opportunity for Cumberland County’s volunteer fire fighters.”
Construction of the new fire station began last July with Iron Maple Constructors leading the project from ground-breaking to its completion.
Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy and Springhill Fire Chief Matthew Ward cut the ribbon to officially open the new Springhill fire station on Saturday, June 21, 2025. The new station replaced the fire department’s former home on Main Street. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland
The new fire station has a large training room that doubles as a community room. The building will have easier community access in that firefighting section of the building is separated from the training/community room.
The community room also comes with a divider so more than one event or training session can take place simultaneously.
The new fire station has four large bays, including one which is a drive thru for easier access for the emergency vehicles. There’s more space in the bays, including overhead, and there’s a system that vents exhaust directly outside.
There’s also more storage space and easier and separate access for bunker gear and other equipment used by the fire service.
Ward paid tribute to the department’s former home saying it served the community well for more than 50 years.
“As we navigated the transition between these buildings it gave us pause to reflect on all that those walls have borne witness to – moments of great triumph, moments of great sorrow. Hardy laughter and deep pain. We carry those memories in our hearts and we honour those who served before us as we begin this next chapter,” the chief said.
“Today is about so much more than any ribbon. It’s about opening the door to a new chapter – one built on the strength of our past and the vision of the future. This hall will be more than a building. It will be where calls are answered, where skills are sharpened, where friendships are forged and where courage is called upon, day or night; rain or shine.”
Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy said council is extremely proud of its fire service with 16 fire departments and 18 buildings across the county and almost 90 individual pieces of firefighting vehicles and apparatus.
“Supporting the fire service has been a stated priority of both the present and most recent council. After conducting an independent fire service review, we have been pursuing the hub model of fire service provision,” the mayor said.
“Central to the implementation of this strategy has been the establishment of support hubs in Truemanville, Pugwash, Parrsboro and here in Springhill. From these hubs the municipality will coordinate the provision of training, supplies, equipment to the other local fire departments.
Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy addresses those in attendance at the official opening of the Springhill Fire Department’s new fire station on Miners’ Memorial Drive in Springhill on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland
“Supporting the fire service in a geographically huge, largely rural, municipality is very expensive. This new building is the biggest investment to date at over $6 million dollars. Fire trucks can cost anywhere from about $300,000 for a rescue truck to well over $1 million for the more complicated, larger units. You can do that math but it’s in the many millions of dollars. So again, this expensive work but it’s critically important.”
The mayor also thanked Iron Maple Constructors for their work on the facility and recognized project manager Roger MacIsaac, who is retiring from the municipality after leading it through, among other things, the construction of the new library in Pugwash and the new fire station in Springhill.