Construction on the new Petrolia North Enniskillen Fire Department’s Training and Historic Centre will begin in July.

Fire Chief Lawrence Swift says the joint fire board has given the department to move ahead on the building which will be erected behind the Petrolia hall and used for training firefighters from around Lambton County.

Swift says the recent boot drive and barbeque during the town-wide yard sale helped put the firefighters’ association met its goal of raising 70 percent of the cost of the building before construction began.

“The boot drive was the thing that did make the difference,” says Swift. “Without it, we would have been a little shy of our goal.”

Swift says the association is still working with the contractor but has been able to come up with a cost for the building of $170,000 – slightly more than first anticipated. But he says the firefighters have raised 70 percent of that amount.

“We’re still fundraising for that last 25 percent,” says Swift “and we’re hoping and planning to break ground on or around July 1.”