Huntsville and Lake of Bays to separate joint fire services

The Township of Lake of Bays and Town of Huntsville to establish independent fire departments.

The towns of Huntsville and Lake of Bays will be ending their joint firefighting agreement over the next 18 months due to differing emergency response needs.

According to a release, the firefighting needs of the two communities have diverged to the point that each town requires its own dedicated fire service.

Lake of Bays Mayor Terry Glover said the separation would allow each town to tailor its emergency response services to specific needs.

Glover highlighted Huntsville’s growing residential population’s different fire operation requirements compared to Lake of Bays, which has more wilderness areas requiring forest, cliff, and water rescue operations.

During the transitional period, Huntsville will continue to provide administrative fire services for Lake of Bays. Once the transition is complete, each town will be responsible for its own fire services.

“We recognize the past few years have brought an enormous amount of change to the region and we are confident that, based on the solid foundation that has been established through the provision of the services, the Township is well positioned to provide independent administrative fire services within their community,” noted Denise Corry, Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Huntsville.

“We will continue to join forces where it makes sense, while also recognizing that sometimes the best path is to tailor solutions around the unique needs of each community,” stated Geoff Carleton, Chief Administrative Officer of the Township of Lake of Bays.

Officials say the goal is to have the new setup fully operational by early 2027.