The fire department in North Glengarry will soon take ownership of a trailer containing equipment for fighting wildfires across the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SDG).

On Monday, July 20, SDG Council adopted a resolution that will allow for the ownership of the trailer and its equipment to be transferred from SDG to the Township of North Glengarry.

The Wildland Fire Trailer is currently owned and maintained by the SDG Counties Transportation Services Department. It is available for use by each of the local municipalities and houses some of the equipment required to fight wildland fires such as extra fire hose and submersible pumps.

Following the Alvin Runnalls Forest Fire near Winchester in 2025, SDG staff and responding fire departments decided the ownership of the trailer and equipment could be reviewed. North Glengarry has agreed to assume ownership, maintenance responsibilities, and administrative oversight of the trailer, and has committed to entering into Memoranda of Understanding and Cost Sharing Agreements with the remaining local municipalities to preserve regional access.

 “We’re happy to take it. We have the storage capacity for it,’ said North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald.

He said North Glengarry Council has given its consent to acquiring the trailer, and it is a good asset to have given there are fire risks.

North Glengarry Deputy Mayor Carma Williams asked if an agreement has yet been established with the five other SDG municipalities for cost sharing.  

Director of Transportation Services Cameron Harper said the agreement has not been established yet.

South Stormont Deputy Mayor Andrew Guindon asked if South Stormont staff requested the trailer be removed from the Newington fire station where it was currently being stored.

Harper said no, but North Glengarry had showed the most interest in acquiring the trailer.

South Dundas Deputy Mayor Marc St-Pierre said the trailer is something ndividual councils should be discussing and that he was not fully aware of what was going on about the transfer to North Glengarry.

Warden Francois Landry said he was not fully aware of the discussions either.

MacDonald said he found out discussions about the Wildland Fire Trailer occurred at a meeting of fire chiefs. He said he understands the transfer and cost sharing agreement still requires the consent of other municipal councils.