Ottawa has announced an investment to upgrade the Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown (5 CDSB) in Oromocto, New Brunswick.
Costing 55.6 million Canadian dollars ($41 million), the project will cover the modernization of 255 buildings, corresponding energy recovery systems, and associated infrastructures.
The effort will also see the integration of new LED lights, water fixtures, gas power generators, builders, and geothermal solutions for the site.
Work for the project will run through 2026 and is expected to support over 200 jobs in Oromocto during the construction phase. Ottawa wrote that hired workers will be provided with an additional training course to operate new capabilities for the project.
Richmond-based engineering agency Ameresco Inc. will serve as the primary contractor.
Solar Farm Integration
In conjunction with the 5 CDSB refurbishment, the government is spending approximately 19.7 million Canadian dollars ($14.5 million) to build a solar farm for the installation.
This project, also awarded to Ameresco, will construct an 8.9-megawatt solar-based station to supply two-thirds of the energy required during Gagetown’s peak operational hours.
Upon completion in 2025, the solar farm is expected to reduce approximately 3,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, further supporting Canada’s goals to employ 100 percent clean-energy federal buildings by 2025 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Ottawa wrote that about five percent of the value of services, goods, and labor will be sourced from indigenous communities in the region.
Addressing ‘Obligation’
Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair commented on the latest military projects and their benefit for warfighters.
“We have an obligation to provide our military personnel with modern, green infrastructure that meets their needs – and that is exactly what we are doing with these investments,” Blair said.
“These upgrades to our Gagetown military base will create hundreds of jobs and reduce our emissions – creating a healthier environment for our military personnel and all Canadians.”
