Final Design Released for New Chester Fire Station
The Chester Fire Services Committee has released the final design for the new Chester Fire Station, marking a significant milestone in a project that will shape fire protection for the Chester area for the next half-century.
Designed by Acre Architects with engineering by CBCL, the new station on Nova Scotia Trunk 3 is conceived as a composition of smaller, familiar volumes that reflect the scale and character of Chester's houses, sheds, and boathouses, rather than a single institutional building. Varied rooflines, simple and durable materials suited to the coastal climate, and a warm, controlled lighting strategy are intended to give the station a quiet civic presence on the highway — a building that reads immediately as a place of service and safety.
Behind that civic face, the design is built around operational readiness and firefighter health. A six-bay apparatus hall, dedicated wet and dry decontamination facilities, separated clean and contaminated pathways, and quiet recovery spaces reflect current best practices for protecting the volunteers who serve the community. A meeting and training room, kitchen, and common area on the second level support the training, recruitment, and camaraderie that every volunteer department depends on.
The design also looks to the future in its environmental performance, targeting a 25 percent reduction in energy consumption beyond the national reference standard, with a high-efficiency building envelope and a solar-ready roof. A glass-fronted display bay for the department's antique fire truck, located at the public entrance, connects the station's heritage to its future.
The final design was presented to the community at a Public Information Meeting on May 11, 2026. The project now moves into the construction documents stage, followed by costing, permitting, and tender ahead of construction.
The Committee invites residents to view the final design and learn more about the project, including its financial framework and fundraising effort, on this website. Questions are welcome at any time through the website or directly to any member of the Committee.
