Residents in Calgary’s growing southeast are a step closer to getting expanded emergency services and the ward’s first permanent public library, as construction gets underway on the city’s first combined fire station and library facility.
The City of Calgary officially broke ground on the project in Ward 14, where a temporary fire station in the community of Walden has been serving the area since 2020 and library services have been offered through a small temporary facility.
“At the end of the day, we need to ensure that every Calgarian, regardless of where they live, has access to the same quality services,” Mayor Jeromy Farkas said on Wednesday.
The new facility, expected to open in 2028, will house a permanent Calgary Fire Department station and a public library located between the two buildings.
For many residents, the project addresses a long-standing gap in services in one of Calgary’s fastest-growing areas.
“That is exciting, I’m in school right now too, so it would be nice to have a library,” one resident said.
The new fire station will include two apparatus bays, doubling the capacity of the current temporary station.
Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth said the additional space will allow the department to enhance service in the area, potentially accommodating new ladder trucks, tower units or specialized response vehicles such as hazardous materials units.
“That second bay will allow us to put another piece of apparatus in there, which may well improve the overall response in this part of the city,” Dongworth said.
While residents applauded the investment, some said additional infrastructure is needed to keep pace with rapid residential growth.
“There needs to be more funding put into the communities, and maybe slowing down new builds that are going up almost too quick at this point,” one resident said.
Farkas acknowledged concerns about growth outpacing services and said more work is needed to ensure amenities arrive sooner in developing neighbourhoods.
“We need to do better to ensure that there’s libraries here, do better to advocate to our provincial government that as these neighbourhoods open, there’s less of a wait for schools and other major amenities,” he said.
The project carries a total price tag of just over $34 million, including $4.1 million in provincial funding.
Walden fire station in Calgary on Oct. 21, 2026. (CityNews/Joel Mendelson)
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