Kawartha Lakes advances plans for $50 Million Paramedic Headquarters

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: Councillors took a significant step toward realizing a $50 million paramedic headquarters in Lindsay, following a presentation at the Committee of the Whole meeting, on Tuesday, October 9th.

The proposed state-of-the-art facility would replace outdated stations and meet rising community demands, housing Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service, on centrally located Angeline Street South, to service the city’s southern region.

According to Chief Sara Johnston, of Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service, this new facility marks a long-awaited improvement for the department. “Our Paramedic Service has never had a purpose-built facility. For over two decades, we’ve been managing in outdated facilities which are fundamentally unsuitable for emergency services,” Chief Johnston said. “While we have been making do, that’s come at a cost of efficiency and service delivery. It’s critical we have the infrastructure and the facilities in place, to support not only our current needs but the future growth of the community and the expected rise in demand, for paramedic services.”

The initial budget for the Paramedic Headquarters and Fleet Centre was $33 million. However, inflation has driven the cost estimate to $50 million, impacting the city’s 2025 and 2026 budgets. The Proposed 2025 Tax-Supported Capital Budget, presented at a September Budget Committee meeting, revised the annual project allotments from $13 million to $21.5 million for the next two years.

Council’s budget incorporates several contingencies, to cover potential rises in construction, labor, and material costs, as well as a commitment to environmentally friendly design principles. Additional contingencies are planned for unexpected challenges during construction. The 61,032-square-foot facility will include: dedicated areas for paramedic response, fleet storage, logistics, repairs, training, community paramedicine, and administrative functions, equipping the paramedic service to handle both current and future needs.

Mayor Doug Elmslie emphasized the importance of the facility, in light of the city’s population boom. “As Lindsay’s population is set to double by 2031, and with thousands of new homes coming to Kawartha Lakes, we are committed to investing in infrastructure [which] ensures the safety and well-being of all residents,” Mayor Elmslie said. “This facility will be key, in supporting our paramedic services and keeping our growing community safe.”

The facility’s location was chosen, based on a comprehensive analysis of travel times, call distribution, and future development trends. The plan would consolidate current facilities, with the exception of stations in Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, and Coboconk, which would remain active. Some vacated facilities may be repurposed for municipal use, allowing for community space expansion and shared usage.

Regarding consolidation, Councillor Warren advocated on behalf of retaining existing paramedic facilities in her ward, which includes the northeast portion of the City, including Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls.

“I know those buildings are less than opportune,” explained Councillor Warren. “Are they slated to close and come into Lindsay? I would have a problem with that and response times would not be a good thing.”

Chief Johnston noted, the current project in Lindsay is part of a larger 2031 Paramedic Service Master Plan which includes further enhancements to services in the northern part of the City.

“Centralization is a very effective model, to include resources in one general area, and that works very well in the south (portion of the City).” added Chief Johnston. “However, Kawartha Lakes is sprawling in terms of geography, and we can’t do that for all stations, if we’re to sufficiently cover the north. There is a plan, later in the Master Plan which went right through to 2031, to address the northern stations, which would include Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon and Coboconk.”

In addition to its primary role, the new headquarters will host essential city services. It will feature a secure backup IT server site, to protect city data and communications, and it will serve as the backup communication center for Kawartha Lakes Police Service, enhancing emergency response reliability.

Thirty-five percent of project costs are expected to be recoverable through development charges, with capacity to serve future population growth. To move forward, the city must enter a lease agreement with the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) which owns the proposed site. The agreement and final approval of the facility will proceed to the full council in the coming weeks.