The RM of Gimli’s volunteer fire department has a new tool for reaching high places and protecting the community, after the arrival of a $1 million aerial fire truck paid for by the province.
The truck was delivered this spring and officially welcomed by Glen Simard, Manitoba’s Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations, on May 27, 2026. Fire Chief Mike Chudd called it a “game changer” not just for Gimli, but for all the communities the department helps through mutual aid.
Built by the Rosenbauer Group in Austria and brought in by Rocky Mountain Phoenix out of Red Deer, Alberta, the new ladder truck can stretch 101 feet into the air. It carries a 500-gallon water tank and a 20-gallon foam tank, giving firefighters more options when every second counts.
The $1 million in provincial funding is part of a bigger push to improve fire safety across Manitoba. In total, the government has put $13.5 million toward 16 different projects, including fire hall upgrades and new gear for other communities. The money for Gimli was first promised back in May 2024 by then-minister Ian Bushie.
“This new aerial truck is a clear example of what strong municipal-provincial partnerships can achieve,” Simard said. For Gimli’s paid-on-call firefighters, who also run two pumper trucks, a water tanker, a rescue van, and a set of Jaws of Life, the new addition means they can better handle fires in taller buildings or spots that are harder to get to.
