Winnipeg Beach lottery to raise funds for fire trucks [Video]

A rural fire department is getting creative in its efforts to raise money to replace two fire trucks that have reached the end of the line – and it could mean a big win for one lucky Manitoba.

After decades of fighting fires in Winnipeg Beach, the rural fire department says it needs to retire its 1993 water pumper and 1979 water tanker.

“Everything has an expiry date,” said Dave Schellenberg, the department’s fire chief. “Fire apparatus is good for 20 years, maybe 25 years, but really, at that point, we should be looking at replacing it.”

But replacing the trucks comes with a hefty price tag – around $800,000 per truck. Each one is custom designed and built to meet a community’s unique needs.

A Winnipeg Beach fire truck is pictured at the town’s fire hall on Oct. 2, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)

The department was able to …