Fort Saskatchewan City Council has approved construction funding for the Helmuth Ritter Fire Station, marking a major step toward improving emergency services in the city’s growing south end. The approval came on July 7, 2026, with design work already underway for the new station on Southridge Boulevard, next to the Ford dealership.
The city currently runs all fire services from a single station with 41 full-time firefighters. A second station is needed to keep response times fast as Fort Saskatchewan grows quickly, with the population reaching 30,575 in 2025 and a five-year growth rate of 9.25 percent, among the highest in Alberta.
The new station is named after Helmuth Ritter, a longtime Fort Saskatchewan volunteer who received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 and passed away in November 2024.
Residents should also expect construction delays on several other major projects. The city’s July 29 construction update notes that 125 Street from Highway 15 to Township Road 550 is closed for rebuilding, and a new right-in/right-out interchange on Highway 15 near 125 Street will start construction in August 2026, bringing lane closures.
Other projects underway include the $72 million aquatics facility between the Dow Centennial Centre and Taurus Field, set to open in early 2029, and the Bike Skills Park north of the Dow Baseball Fields, where work is scheduled to start the week of August 3, weather permitting. Drivers are asked to plan extra travel time and watch for construction signs in these areas.
