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North Westside fire department looking for another fire chief

Captain Nick Cantyn promoted to be acting chief for the time being
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North Westside Fire Rescue has seen the departure of another fire chief after only a few months on the job. (Google Maps)

The North West Side Fire Department is onto yet another new chief.

Alex Van Bruksvoort was released from the position while he was still in his probationary period. It was a mutually agreed decision, according to West Side electoral area director Wayne Carson.

“I understand that this was a conversation the regional district had earlier this week; that they sat down and had the conversation,” Carson told the Capital News on Monday.

While the regional district undertakes the hiring process to fill the opening, they have promoted fire captain Nick Cantyn to be the acting fire chief.

A long-term resident of the community, Cantyn has held a leadership position in the department for a number of years already.

READ MORE: North Westside firefighters replaced after protesting suspension of chief, deputy

Whoever the district finds to fill the opening permanently, Carson, former fire chief for the department, hopes the person will be someone from a similar rural community, bringing experience appropriate for dealing with a community directly interfacing with the forests.

“I would prefer the chief be somebody that came up through the department … I do not think it has really served our community well bringing in retired career people from major departments to run a small rural department like this,” said Carson.

After several years of turmoil within the department, beginning with the indefinite suspension of chief Jason Satterthwaite and Lt. Rob Gajda, and most recently the departure of Van Bruksvoort, Carson hopes that whoever replaces them will have the confidence of the department in order to lead them in their duties of fire response, medical response, vehicle incident response and all of the department’s other responsibilities.

“I think it just needs a strong leader who has the respect of his crew to put that stuff in the rear view mirror and get on with the business of being a fire department,” said Carson.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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