County unveils plan to fund new Erin ambulance station

GUELPH – Wellington County is setting the stage for how the City of Guelph and the county will pay for eight new ambulance stations to be built in the coming years, beginning with Erin.

Guelph provides paramedic services for the city and county.

A September staff report to the joint county-city social services committee outlined a memorandum of understanding and lease template yet to receive approval from city and county councils.

The county is working toward a plan to build the stations, with the county to front all capital costs before recovering the city’s share of the expense through leases.

Erin would be the first of eight new stations the county plans to build by 2042, based on the potential to improve paramedic response times there.

A 2024 consultant’s report by Operational Research in Health recommended paramedics should reach 90 per cent of emergency calls in Erin within 18 minutes.

That target was missed in 2025 and in the first half of this year, according to a separate staff report to the committee.

Last year, it took 20 minutes and 24 seconds to reach 90% of calls. This year, it took crews 19 minutes and 35 seconds to reach 90% of calls between January and June.

The Erin station, estimated to cost $5.3 million for a two-acre site and construction, is planned at around 3,400 square feet with two bays. Construction isn’t expected until 2028.

The annual lease payment is estimated at $485,000. Based on call volumes, the city’s 64% share would be $310,000, and the county’s 36% share, $175,000. The city’s portion of the capital cost would be recovered over 15 years.

The county, as landlord, would be responsible for building maintenance and capital repairs with the cost billed back to the city. Guelph would cover snow removal, landscaping, cleaning and utilities. Operating costs would be shared by the province, city and county.

No property for the Erin station has been chosen. Selection would begin following county and city approvals, with a report coming back to the committee.

County treasurer Ken DeHart said the county will wait until Guelph and Wellington councils approve their respective budgets to move forward with land acquisition.

A final lease wouldn’t be signed until construction and costing are completed. The county is expected to take on tax-supported debt for the Erin station.

The county’s preliminary 2027 budget and 10-year outlook – to go to council for approval in January – are expected to include land and construction cost estimates for Erin and four other ambulance stations.

If the agreement works for Erin, the county intends to use the same approach for the rest of the stations. Next in line after Erin would be Rockwood, Harriston, Mount Forest, Fergus, Aberfoyle, Arthur and Drayton.

All eight stations are estimated to cost $63.5 million, with individual estimates ranging from Erin’s $5.3 million to $11.5 million for a three-bay station in Fergus.