Kawartha Lakes breaks ground on new paramedic headquarters

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: After years of working out of aging and repurposed facilities, Kawartha Lakes paramedics are one step closer to having a home designed specifically for the work they do.

The City of Kawartha Lakes officially broke ground, Tuesday, August 4th, on the future Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service Headquarters, at 230 Angeline Street South in Lindsay.

City officials, current and former paramedics, staff, and project partners gathered for the ceremony which included remarks from representatives of the Paramedic Service before the ceremonial turning of the soil.

Construction of the new facility is targeted for completion in 2028.

“It’s a really exciting day for our service and one that’s been a long time coming,” explained Sara Johnston, Chief of Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service. “This project belongs to all of them. It reflects years of hard work, commitment, and care for this community.”

The new headquarters is intended to address the limitations of the service’s current facilities, which are presently spread across several locations and were not originally designed to accommodate the needs of a modern emergency medical service.

The purpose-built headquarters will bring together paramedic operations and response coordination, training and administration, ambulance bays and indoor vehicle parking, fleet maintenance, logistics and equipment storage, as well as backup communications and critical IT infrastructure.

For paramedics, the project represents more than simply a new workplace.

“This building will be far more than bricks and mortar. It will be our home,” said Michelle Bell, who has served with Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service since 2002 and sits on the project steering committee.

Ms. Bell noted, the facility will provide paramedics with a dedicated space to train, mentor one another, and decompress following difficult calls.

“Having a place to truly call our own means more than words can express,” she said. “It reflects the values this community places on its paramedics and the important work we do every day.”

Mike Locke, president of OPSEU Local 371 and a Kawartha Lakes paramedic for 20 years, said, the headquarters will give the service the room it needs, to grow alongside the municipality.

“This is a vital investment in the health and safety of our residents and an investment in the professionals who serve them,” Mr. Locke added.

For local residents, the project is also being viewed as an investment in the future of emergency services across the municipality.

“Our paramedics are there for people on some of the worst days of their lives, so it’s good to see them finally getting a facility which meets their needs,” said Lindsay resident Matt MacDonald.

With construction now underway, the project marks a significant step, toward providing Kawartha Lakes paramedics with a permanent, modern facility capable of supporting the service for decades to come.