Ontario Investing $865,046 to Support Firefighter Training at Central York Fire Services

Investment through the Skills Development Fund will help build firefighter training structure for Aurora and Newmarket fire department

AURORA — The Ontario government is investing $865,046 through the Skills Development Capital Stream to support the construction of a new fire training structure to help meet Aurora and Newmarket’s emergency response needs and provides effective training for current and future fire and rescue responders. This investment is part of the province’s more than $10 million investment to build five new state-of-the-art training facilities across the province and train thousands of firefighters for in-demand careers in fire and rescue services.

“Investments in training our firefighters are investments in the safety and resilience of our communities,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “With this enhanced fire training structure in Auora/Newmarket, our government is proud to partner with our municipal and fire service partners to increase firefighting training capacity, and open doors for more people who want to protect our communities.”

“This investment underscores the importance of both community safety and workforce development,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP Newmarket-Aurora. “It’s critical that our government continues to facilitate growth in Ontario’s workforce to meet the growing demand for qualified workers in the skilled trades, including emergency response services.”

This project will construct a modular fire training facility unit at the Central York Fire Services (CYFS) Ian Laing Headquarters (Station 4-5) at 300 Earl Stewart Drive in Aurora, Ontario. The main objective of this project is to increase CYFS’ fire training capacity and the number of fire prevention skills the department can train in-house.

“The new training structure will significantly enhance our firefighters’ skills, allowing us to be better trained, better equipped, and better prepared to serve our community,” said Central York Fire Services Fire Chief Volpe. “Training enhancements will raise the bar in terms of firefighter safety and will benefit the public, ensuring that we are ready to respond swiftly and effectively in times of need.”

“I want to thank the Ontario Government for this significant investment in our communities. This is a big step forward in establishing CYFS as a true leader in fire and rescue training and will help ensure our firefighters and recruits are even better equipped to keep residents safe,” said Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas. “It also means we’re going to be able to continue attracting the best and brightest to our communities, individuals who want to be part of a fire service that has the top-notch facilities, training programs and opportunities for career advancement.”

“This is an investment in the safety of our communities. The more training we can provide to our firefighters, the safer they will be when called upon to respond to emergencies and the more effective they will be in overcoming whatever challenges they face, which makes our communities safer,” said Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “Thank you to the Provincial Government for partnering with Newmarket, Aurora and Central York Fire Services to build a new firefighter training structure and increase our capacity to train firefighters, here in the communities they protect.”

Since its launch in 2021, Ontario is investing up to $1.4 billion through the Skills Development Fund Training and Capital streams to grow Ontario’s workforce for in-demand careers in the skilled trades, including emergency response services.

Quick Facts

  • Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is a consolidated fire department that provides protection to the Towns of Newmarket and Aurora.
  • Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s SDF Training Stream has helped almost 600,000 workers train for in-demand sectors, including:
    • Over 66,000 construction workers
    • Over 92,000 manufacturing workers
    • Over 36,000 PSWs and health-care workers
  • SDF Training Stream Round 5 applications opened July 29, 2024, and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until October 4, 2024. Organizations including non-profits, Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holders, unions, industry and employer associations, municipalities and other organizations are eligible to submit project proposals and apply for funding. Interested organizations can apply through Transfer Payment Ontario and send inquiries to skillsdevelopmentfund@ontario.ca.
  • People interested in participating in the programs announced today are encouraged to contact the lead organizations of the projects directly.
  • The Capital Stream of the Skills Development Fund is exclusively funded by the Government of Ontario.
  • The Training Stream of the Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
  • As the Government of Canada has unilaterally cut over $230 million annually from Ontario’s Labour Market Transfer Agreements, which support employment and settlement service programs, Ontario continues to call for the federal government to reinstate this critical funding for Ontario workers and jobseekers.

Additional Resources

About Central York Fire Services
Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is a consolidated fire department that provides protection to the Towns of Newmarket and Aurora. CYFS operates under the direction of a six-member Joint Council Committee made up of three members from each of the Town Councils. The Joint Council Committee provides and administers a borderless, single-tier of fire protection and prevention services throughout both towns in accordance with the Consolidated Fire Services Agreement and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. Visit cyfs.ca for more information.