Provincial grant to fund fire training tower in Bowmanville

Construction on a new fire training facility in Bowmanville will get underway after Clarington was awarded a $3.2 million grant from the provincial Skills Development Fund Capital Stream.

The facility will feature both a drill tower and a live fire training tower, a training compound, large classroom space and a driver training track. It will provide access to leading-edge training for senior fire officials in incident command and emergency management strategies, leadership training for future Fire Chiefs and Deputy Fire Chiefs, fire training certification for volunteer and career firefighters from underrepresented communities, and more.

“Clarington’s firefighters and other first responders will get better training locally, thanks to this significant grant. This facility will be the first of its kind in the region, and its training opportunities will enhance the safety of communities throughout Durham,” said Mayor Adrian Foster. “I am grateful to the Province of Ontario for this generous funding, which will make this facility a reality and support sustainable growth in our community.”

The grant is for both the design work – which is already underway – and the construction of the fire training facility, giving firefighters and other emergency responders in Clarington and across Durham Region new opportunities to develop life-saving skills under one roof.

The facility, to be located near Liberty Street and Concession Road #4, will be the first of its kind in Durham Region, though a modular fire training tower for the Oshawa Fire Department was set up at the Oshawa Executive Airport in early  2023. The $1.5 million tower in Oshawa is made from shipping containers and replaces the old fire training tower on Wentworth Street.

The modular fire training tower at the Oshawa airport

Labour, Immigration and Training and Skills Development Minister David Piccini (whose riding takes in part of eastern Clarington) said the money is an investment in the safety and resilience of the community.

“With this new fire training facility in Bowmanville, our government is proud to partner with our municipal and fire service partners to increase firefighting training capacity, and open doors for more people who want to protect our communities.”