Silton's fire department still shuttered after nearly a month

Silton's fire department still shuttered after nearly a month

Service in Saskatchewan village was expected to resume last week; area resident 'a little ticked off'

It has been nearly a month since the Village of Silton temporarily closed its fire hall and locked out members, and one area resident says the situation is deeply concerning.

Terry Morin has had a four-season home about a kilometre away from Silton, Sask., since 2011. He said the situation is worrying for those who live in and around the area.

"It's a service we rely on that's been taken away," Morin told CBC News on Monday. "Time is of the essence."

The village of 95 residents is about 45 kilometres northwest of Regina. Its fire department also serves surrounding communities.

Corey Coons and Trevor Leggett were removed as fire chief and deputy fire chief on Aug. 24. Coons previously told CBC News he was fired after raising safety and governance concerns.

Murray Wild, Silton's mayor, previously told CBC it became increasingly difficult for council to work with Coons and Leggett. Members of the department were locked out of the fire hall shortly after the two firefighters were removed from their positions.

The interim chief has since resigned, and Silton's fire hall remains shuttered. The nearby communities of Earl Grey and Lumsden will provide fire help while the hall is closed.

Silton's former fire chief says he was removed after raising safety, governance concerns

Morin questioned the actions taken by village leadership over the last month and said there has been a lack of information about the fire department. He said he had confidence in the service's former members.

"They're dedicated. I know they know their stuff," Morin said.

He said he is less confident in the department today.

"Not only am I not confident, I'm a little ticked off," Morin said.

Nic Skulski told CBC News the past few weeks have been "quite a roller-coaster." He worked as a volunteer firefighter in Silton for more than five years after his house burned down.

Skulski resigned last month after Coons, a childhood friend, was removed as chief.

Skulski said members attended a meeting on Sept. 13 in an attempt to reach an agreement with the village about the situation, but council did not attend.

"Since council didn't show up, we didn't really have any answers on anything. So, most of the guys walked out from there," he said.

Skulski said the mayor later presented options, including the possibility of Coons and Leggett coming back, but not as chief and deputy chief.

"We were debating it," he said.

Skulski said he then received an email from council on Sept. 17 saying his authority to act on behalf of the village or its fire department was "revoked," even though he had already resigned.

The email, obtained by CBC News, thanked Skulski for his service and requested his "full cooperation" to ensure a smooth transition.

The email gave no reason for his removal.

CBC News reached out to the village for comment. Wild said he had nothing further to add at this time.

In a Facebook post, the fire department shared a timeline of events.

The department had 18 active firefighters and three junior firefighters before Coons and Leggett were removed, the post said. The post said members were notified of the lockout on Aug. 25 and that fire services were suspended by the interim leadership until Sept. 15 "due to stated concerns over department assets."

It said locked-out members attended a "requested meeting" at the fire hall on Sept. 13, where they were told the interim fire chief and a captain had resigned.

The post noted members raised questions about leadership, safety, communication and operational concerns throughout the meeting. It said the lack of resolution resulted in all but three members walking out.

Former fire chief says he was removed after raising safety, governance concerns

Morin believes the community needs a resolution rather than a prolonged argument, and he wants to see fire service restored.

"Don't drag people's lives into this little pissing match," he said. "Let's get on with this."

Skulski said members remain open to discussions with the village and that he hopes an agreement can be reached.

"We just wanna help the community out. We wanna be out there. We wanna be doing what we love to do and helping people, and [we're] being denied the ability to do that."

Aliyah Marko-Omene is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. She has previously worked for CBC and Toronto Star in Toronto. You can reach her at aliyah.marko@cbc.ca.