(Huntsville, ON) - The Town of Huntsville is announcing that effective July 1, 2026, our shared Fire Department Administration Service Agreement with the Township of Lake of Bays will conclude. This decision follows the July 2025 directive by the Lake of Bays Council that the Township of Lake of Bays would be ending the Agreement.  

Following a coordinated and successful transition period, the two fire service departments will officially function separately as of July 1, 2026, and Town of Huntsville fire services will now operate as Huntsville Fire Department.  

“The Fire Department Administration Services Agreement marked a strong and successful partnership between the Township of Lake of Bays and the Town of Huntsville for almost 14 years, reflecting the shared values and close relationship between our communities,” says Town of Huntsville Chief Administrative Officer, Denise Corry. “This realignment will allow each organization to better meet the tailored needs of our communities, streamline internal processes, and reduce duplication of administrative requirements.” 

While the new service structure will change some internal administrative processes within the Fire Department, it will not change the way the public normally contacts emergency services or the response levels they currently receive.  

“I want to strongly reassure residents that this change will not impact the Department’s ability to serve our community. Residents can expect the same high level of service and emergency response they rely on every day,” says Gary Monahan, Fire Chief, Huntsville Fire Department. “The changes are largely administrative in nature – focused on improving efficiency and addressing individual department needs. Mutual aid support will continue to be in place, along with coordination with local municipal and regional fire departments. The Huntsville Fire Department is made up of dedicated, highly skilled first responders, and we are deeply grateful for their continued commitment to public safety.”
 
Over the past several months, the Huntsville Fire Department has been strategically working on a new brand, as well as planning an exciting community launch event in the Fall. The community will begin to see brand updates and changes to the website and social media channels in the coming weeks. 

The Town of Huntsville will provide more details on the Huntsville Fire Department brand and community event later this summer on huntsville.ca.

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Media inquiries:
communications@huntsville.ca