Field Fire & Rescue Service: The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) will be starting an Alternative Approval Process to determine if the residents of Field are willing to accept the transfer of Field Fire & Rescue from Parks Canada to a CSRD-operated fire department and rescue service.
At the June 19 Regular Meeting, the CSRD Board approved the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to start June 26, 2025, with the deadline to submit elector response forms set for July 28, 2025, at 4 PM (PT). The process must run for a minimum of 30 days.
The AAP is like a reverse referendum, where a person submits a response to the CSRD only if they are opposed to the purpose of the bylaw. It requires 10 per cent or more of the eligible electors in Field to sign and submit response forms in opposition to the proposed initiative.
If this happens, the CSRD Board would have to decide to go to a referendum vote within 80 days, or the Board can put the matter on hold and consider alternatives.
As part of this initiative, there will be no additional taxation for the service to residents of Field. All the operational and capital costs of providing the fire and rescue service will be paid to the CSRD through a financial contribution agreement with Parks Canada.
Currently, Parks Canada operates the Field Fire & Rescue; however, they approached the CSRD to see if an alternate option could be put in place because of difficulties with maintaining the standards of a modern, paid-on-call fire department.
Residents can expect the same level of fire protection service offered by the Parks Canada fire department.
More information and elector response forms will be available as of June 26, 2025, at the CSRD office or on the CSRD website, www.csrd.bc.ca/assent
