Former North Battleford fire chief looking for damages after termination

He no longer works for the City of North Battleford, but the city’s former fire chief has taken the city to court over his former job.

Trevor Brice was the director of protective services and fire chief in North Battleford, but in 2019 he “departed” the position, according to reports at the time.

Now, court documents show that Brice was actually terminated from the position and that the city admits it was without cause.

At the time, the local firefighters union was frustrated over layoffs to full-time firefighter staff, according to BattlefordsNOW, and characterized Brice’s departure as such.

Brice and the city are in court over what damages Brice in entitled to for his termination and what documents the city is willing to produce for it. He is looking for things like internal correspondence, reports, meeting notes, and resolutions, but the city is arguing those aren’t relevant to the issue at hand.

Brice is arguing, among other things, that he is also entitled to damages around the way he was dismissed from his position.

At one point in the written decision over documents, the judge writes that: “The City acknowledges that it may be liable for additional damages related to the city’s conduct during the course of terminating Mr. Brice’s employment.”

Brice is now the fire chief and director of emergency management in Okotoks, Alta.