The Gunflint Trail community has something new to celebrate—the completion of the Seagull Lake Community Center and Fire Hall #3. Everyone is invited to celebrate the third and final stage of the project to update and enhance the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department facilities. An open house will be held at Fire Hall #3 on Tuesday, June 17.
The third and final stage of an ambitious project to enhance the facilities for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department is completed. Fire Hall #3 and the Seagull Lake Community Center will be hosting an open house on Tuesday June 17.
Phase one of the project was the creation of the Schaap Community Center and a Cold Storage facility at Hall #1 at mid-Trail and the bathroom/ storage addition to Hall #2 on South Gunflint Lake Road.
The GTVFD mission was to provide multi-use facilities that would serve as a community center, training center and when necessary an Incident Command Post (ICP). Complete with radio communications, cell service and up to 12 independent phone lines the center can be immediately transformed to an ICP in the event of a major fire, search and rescue mission, evacuation or other such incidents. Thus an ICP team can move right in and begin crucial operations without wasting time acquiring needed resources.
The Schaap Community Center, boosted by a generous donation from Paul and Carol Schaap, has been open since May 2013. So far area property owner associations, community members, the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Cook County EMS Department, the GTVFD and numerous other organizations have made use of the center.
The Seagull Lake Community Center will now offer those same opportunities to the end of the Gunflint Trail residents.
The total cost of the three fire hall projects was $850,000 with over $500,000 in donations from a vibrant and generous Gunflint Trail community. That includes the buildings, wells, septic systems, parking lots and emergency generators. Now it’s time to celebrate and give thanks to our friends and neighbors. The Open House Festivities will begin at 4 p.m. at 7 Seagull Lake Access Road (right across from the Seagull Creek Fishing Camp).
We’ll be hosting a free dinner and refreshments at 5 p.m. with a short program to follow. For those who attended the grand opening of Hall #1 last July, we’re serving the same fare of ribs, chicken, burgers, hot dogs and the “works” all generously provided by Upper Lakes Foods. This is open to the public countywide.
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