Fire Station 21 of the Intermunicipal Fire Safety Authority of the Vallée-du-Richelieu is located in Beloeil, on boulevard Yvon-L’Heureux Nord, at a strategic site that allows it to serve more than six municipalities in the Montérégie region. The new facility strengthens the Authority’s operational network and asserts the presence of contemporary civic infrastructure within a landscape in transformation.
Inspired by the lowlands of the Saint Lawrence River and the nearby Monteregian hills, the building appears to rise from the plain as a calm, mineral volume. Its massing draws on the broad, open terrain and surrounding hillsides, giving the station a solid, grounded presence that echoes the protective role it plays for the communities it serves.
Organized on two levels and roughly 2,500 m², the station brings together a large eight-bay apparatus hall for emergency vehicles, a dedicated bay for a boat and trailer, specialized storage areas, decontamination zones and support spaces such as lockers and showers, gear storage, a laundry, an Apria room and a hose tower. The living areas include individual bunk rooms, a generous kitchen and dining space, a home-cinema-style lounge and a gym, while the upper level houses the Authority’s administration, offices, meeting rooms and rest areas.
The former snow-dump site strongly shaped the project, with its irregular geometry, limited bearing capacity and partial contamination. The building is therefore supported on piles and rests on thick layers of insulation, its plan following the lot lines to optimize site occupation and the fluidity of emergency circulation routes. The exterior layout incorporates training areas for vehicle extrication and specialized containers for live-fire simulation, reinforcing the station’s dual operational and pedagogical role.
When the provincial grant for Station 21 was announced, the Member for Borduas, Simon Jolin-Barrette, emphasized the importance of investing in high-quality municipal infrastructure to ensure the safety of residents across the Vallée-du-Richelieu. This institutional recognition underlines the central role of the station in the development of the territory and in the protection of the regional community.
