Garrison Petawawa hosted a high-profile visitor on Friday morning, who was in town to deliver good news to anyone who lives on the base. Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino announced $20 million in critical infrastructure funding at a special ceremony at the Normandy Officers Mess, representing a portion of the $452 million announced last November by the Harper government for improvement at Canadian Forces installations across the country.
“This funding will go towards projects in every province and territory,” Fantino said, reminding his audience of last fall’s announcement, “including dozens of initiatives right here in the province of Ontario.
“Today, I’m honoured to be with my colleague Cheryl Gallant to announce that more than $20 million will be spent on important infrastructure projects right here in Petawawa, to repair, renovate and recapitalize military housing units as well as making vital road repairs to improve traffic flow at the corner of Centurion and Montgomery and other areas along the way.”
Maintenance and upkeep of the roughly 1,600 residential housing units (RHUs) located on the base is costly, and many of those RHUs are in need of significant repairs to keep them in good condition and to improve the lives of the military families that occupy them.
The $20 million will be split between three major projects, all to be completed by 2017. The first, and largest by far, will be the renovation, repair and recapitalization (whole-house renovation) of the RHUs, and will come with a $16 million price tag. The other two will cost roughly $2 million each, and will consist of work on the exterior fixtures at other military quarters on base, and a reconstruction of the intersection of Centurion and Montgomery roads to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.
“These efforts will allow you to continue to benefit from high-quality infrastructure as you work and train to serve Canada and Canadians,” Fantino continued, “and of course we hope that this will also improve the quality of life for all of you and your families.”
Fantino highlighted that the influx of funding would not only be a direct benefit to those who live on the base, and an indirect benefit to anyone who works or even just visits the facility, but it would also be a boon for the local economy.
“Revitalization of defense infrastructure across the county” he says, “will provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the facilities they need – you need – to support operations at home and abroad, and to ensure the continued health and safety of our military personnel. And, of course, it will help improve the economy right here in the area of Petawawa by helping to create local jobs. I would say that on all fronts, this is a good news story.”
Speaking following the announcement, Lt.-Col. Louis Lapointe, deputy commander of 4 Canadian Division Support Group, agreed.
“This announcement is great news for Garrison Petawawa,” he said. “We take pride in our facilities, and support such as this will go a long way to benefit our military personnel and their families. Supporting a work force of this size is no easy task, but if you have the right infrastructure in place, it can be much easier. On behalf of our soldiers, and the family of Garrison Petawawa, I would like to extend our appreciation for this much-needed funding.”
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