Mishall RehmanPlans are underway to construct a 480-room facility for incoming Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) personnel at CFB Esquimalt, announced Minister of National Defence Bill Blair.
The facility will be 31,700m2 and will house junior non-commissioned members of the RCN as they train. The building is expected to be modern and state-of-the-art, consolidating several base functions in one space.
“Canadian Armed Forces members stand ready to defend Canada every day. Wherever they are posted, service members should not have to worry about finding a suitable home. This new housing facility at CFB Esquimalt will provide state-of-the-art accommodations for 480 Armed Forces members – giving them a modern place to live while training. In British Columbia and right across Canada, we are making transformative investments to improve military housing and support our people,” said Blair on Aug. 8, 2024.
A $165 million contract
The total cost for the design and construction of this “modern high-rise” facility is expected to be $165 million. Ellis Don Corporation has been awarded the design portion of the contract for $10.1 million.
The building will house “480 single occupancy rooms, administrative areas, a dining area and galley capable of serving 700 people, a mess that can support 400 people, postal services, coffee shops, and more,” according to the Department of National Defence.
The facility is being constructed with the environment in mind. According to the military, it will consider the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the Greening Government Strategy and seek two Green Globes Certification. The facility will be net zero and will include energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, parking spaces for green vehicles, rainwater capture technology, and LED lighting.
It is expected the ground will break for this project in 2026. Once the facility is completed, in the early 2030s, according to DND, the current accommodation facility at CFB Esquimalt will be demolished.
Housing Across Canada
Minister Blair’s announcement also included plans to create housing at other CFB bases. The government plans to invest $10.2 billion over 20 years in current and new infrastructure and additional funding for building new housing and bringing current housing up to standard.
The Minister noted that Budget 2024 allows for the construction of up to 1,400 new homes and the renovation of an additional 2,500 existing units for CAF members on base in communities such as Esquimalt, Edmonton, Borden, Trenton, Kingston, Petawawa, Ottawa, Valcartier, and Gagetown—a much-welcome announcement for many military families in an environment where civilian housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
Better Use Public Land
As part of this initiative, the government is also looking to better use public land already owned by National Defence. DND owns 622 properties totalling 2.2 million hectares, which it recognizes are not used to their full potential.
DND is also working with partners to divest surplus properties that could be used for housing. These properties include:
- Amherst Armoury in Amherst, Nova Scotia;
- 96 D’Auteuil and 87 St- Louis in Québec City, Quebec;
- The National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa, Ontario;
- The HMCS Hunter Armoury in Windsor, Ontario; and,
- The Brigadier Murphy Armoury in Vernon, British Columbia.
The government is also looking to redevelop other properties in bases such as Halifax, Toronto and Esquimalt.
