The City of Greater Sudbury has gifted a decommissioned water rescue boat to Wahnapitae First Nation.
The 2005 Connor Industries Stanley Hull served Lake Wanapitei until it was decommissioned in 2020.
“I think it’s a good news story,” Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée told Sudbury.com after the city issued a media release announcing the gift to Wahnapitae First Nation on Friday.
When city staff put the boat up for auction online in early 2024, Labbée stepped in to successfully urge them to pull it.
At the time, Labbée said the community was “exploring the different options” to retain the boat in the Lake Wanapitei area.
Now almost two years later, Labbée said this effort has proven successful.
Although the boat is being gifted to Wahnapitae First Nation, she said it will feed into a broader Lake Wanapitei Safety and Assist program the Wahnapitae and Skead communities are forming.
Other communities have formed similar such groups, she said, which patrol waterways to ensure people have bailing cans, whistles and other safety equipment. They can also assist boaters in situations where they need help but haven't reached an emergent stage.
An example could be someone running out of gasoline on the lake.
More details on this group will be hashed out in the spring, at which time Labbée said they’d host an “official launch into the water.”
“With the proximity to the airport and being on a major lake, and having so many serious events happening on the lake over the years, it was important for the people of Skead to have a rescue boat in place instead of waiting for career firefighters to come,” she said, clarifying that although firefighters will still serve the area, those who are already on site are more likely to arrive first.
On that front, the Skead Fire Station celebrated its ceremonial reopening in October 2024 after being closed since 2022 due to a combination of damage to the building and a broader municipal reframing of emergency services infrastructure. Originally slated to remain permanently closed, Labbee joined community members in a successful push to keep the volunteer station open.
When it comes to the creation of a Lake Wanapitei Safety and Assist program, Labbée said, “It’s a good safety initiative, and it gives people a feeling of comfort to know they’re there.”
The boat was previously stationed at Tony’s Marina on Lake Wanapitei, and its 2020 removal has been an ongoing point of contention among some area residents.
It had been purchased “off the shelf,” Deputy Chief Nathan Melin explained to Sudbury.com last year, and wasn’t designed as a rescue vehicle.
People used to use whatever they had for emergency rescues, he said at the time, “but with liability these days and certification coming in, it makes it that much harder. ... You need the proper equipment to keep your responders safe so that they can do the appropriate rescue.”
The old boat was flagged as a health and safety concern unfit for rescue purposes, and removed in the spring of 2020.
A design-built water rescue boat was purchased and stationed at Minnow Lake, where it’s centrally located to serve Greater Sudbury’s 330 lakes. A second boat was purchased and stationed at the Long Lake station.
In the city’s media release issued on Friday, Wahnapitae First Nation Chief Larry Roque said the boat would make “a significant difference" for the community.
“We appreciate the city’s support and look forward to using this vessel to advance our community outreach and safety initiatives,” he said.
Mayor Paul Lefebvre said he was pleased to see it put to use to support “outreach and safety work on the water.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.