CANTON – Fire Chief Wayne Dube believes the Canton Fire and Rescue Squads have outgrown their building.

So the town will try to build a new, larger one.

To do this, federal Community Development Block Grant money is needed. Dube, adept at writing a variety of successful grants during the past couple of years, is writing another one – this time for $250,000, a sum that if received, will be matched by about $50,000 in money or in-kind work by the town.

A public hearing on the grant application is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the municipal building.

Tentatively planned is a 62-foot by 80-foot, one-story building that would include six bays, two large rooms that could be used for training, meetings or for providing space for townspeople if evacuations from the flood plain are needed, and a small dispatching office.

“This is a big deal,” Dube said of the plan. “It’s long overdue, especially since the current building is in the flood zone.”

The current municipal building is located on Route 140 just outside the village in the floodplain of the Androscoggin River. It was built in 1965. In addition to housing the fire and rescue squads, the building also includes municipal offices and a meeting room.

Dube said the building was constructed to house three trucks. But the fire and rescue squads have four fire trucks and one ambulance crammed into the building. A boat and brush fire truck are stored at the home of one of the volunteers.

Whenever training is to take place or a meeting of the fire and rescue squads is held, trucks must be rolled out of the building to make way for people, Dube said.

A new building is proposed for construction adjacent to the Canton Highway Garage on Route 108 south of town. Part of the potential building lot is owned by the Matott family and would have to be purchased by the town.

Saturday’s public hearing will give residents a chance to comment on the grant and the possible new fire station.

Dube said the grant must be submitted by Nov. 21. Whether or not the request will make it to the final round for funding will be known in January.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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