Fort Saskatchewan city council has approved nearly $29 million to build the long-awaited Helmuth Ritter Fire Station in the city’s growing south end. On July 7, 2026, council voted 6-1 to add $28,901,000 to the project budget, paving the way for construction on Southridge Boulevard next to Heartland Ford. The project will be paid for through debenture borrowing, and council gave first reading to a borrowing bylaw the same night.
Only Councillor Noyen opposed both motions. Mayor Makin and councillors Katchur, Harris, Wesley, Blizzard and Randhawa voted in favour. The new station is named after Helmuth Ritter, a veteran Fort Saskatchewan firefighter who served the community for decades.
The city’s fire department currently operates out of a single station, Station 1 on 93 Avenue, which covers only 28 percent of properties within recommended 10-minute response times. A 2023 Fire Services Master Plan found that adding a second station would boost that coverage by 50 to 60 percent, depending on placement. Fort Saskatchewan’s population hit 27,088 in the 2021 census and is expected to more than double by 2050.
The project has been in the works for years. Council first approved $2.1 million for design in June 2025 after a scope study laid out options. The chosen design, known as concept 3, includes a Live Fire Training Centre alongside the fire hall itself. The station will be built on land the city already owns, right next to the Heartland Ford dealership along Southridge Boulevard in the southern part of the city.
Bylaw C24-26, which lets the city borrow up to the full $28,901,000 amount, still needs to go through second and third readings before the funds can be borrowed. Construction dates have not been set, but the approval marks a major step toward giving residents in the expanding south side faster emergency response times.
