Canadian Forces Base Suffield included in $8B Alberta defence investment

The federal government says the Alberta investments are expected to support approximately 29,000 to 38,000 jobs over the next five to 10 years, while strengthening local supply chains and supporting businesses, skilled trades and communities.

At CFB Suffield, the $750-million investment will specifically support the new Chemical and Biological Laboratory and Blast Assessment Centre.

The broader Alberta defence investments will also fund the renewal and expansion of residential accommodations, operational facilities, logistics and warehousing capacity, training infrastructure, utilities, transportation networks and support services across the province.

McGuinty said Alberta’s military bases and key infrastructure are important to Canada’s defence, serving as training and logistics hubs for the Canadian Armed Forces while also contributing to economic growth.

“Alberta’s military bases and key infrastructure are essential to Canada’s defence, serving as training and logistics hubs that support and prepare the Canadian Armed Forces for operations at home and around the world,” McGuinty said.

“While also generating thousands of well-paying jobs and supporting the region’s economic growth.”

McGuinty said the federal government will continue to invest in rebuilding and expanding the military.

The announcement also comes as the federal government reopens the Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace Request for Supply Arrangement, which will allow more Canadian companies to pre-qualify to supply the Department of National Defence with autonomous systems capabilities and related services.

The federal government says the refreshed arrangement will give Canadian companies, including those in Alberta, more opportunities to develop capabilities needed for Canada’s future defence and security requirements.

The visit also included an announcement of more than $8 million for seven Alberta projects through PrairiesCan programs, including the Regional Defence Investment Initiative, Regional Tariff Response Initiative and Regional Innovation Ecosystems program.

The funding is intended to help Alberta organizations advance defence-related innovations, expand capacity, commercialize technology and strengthen their participation in domestic and international defence supply chains.

The federal government says those initiatives will create opportunities for economic growth, investment and high-quality jobs across Alberta.

Smith and McGuinty also discussed how federal investments to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces could benefit Alberta’s defence industry and local economies.

In a separate statement, Smith and Alberta Jobs Minister Joseph Schow said the federal investment demonstrates the province’s role in Canada’s defence and sovereignty.

The provincial government said the funding builds on Alberta’s existing national defence assets, including Canadian Forces bases in Cold Lake, Edmonton, Suffield and Wainwright.

Schow said modernizing and expanding defence infrastructure will create opportunities for companies involved in building, maintaining and supporting major projects, while helping attract investment to Alberta’s defence sector.

The federal investment also includes nearly $4 billion for future fighter capabilities at CFB Cold Lake, $550 million to establish the western operating base for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-330 Husky fleet and more than $580 million over the next three years for maintenance and repair work at Canadian Armed Forces bases across Alberta.

by Jett Schwaier

Canadian Forces Base Suffield included in $8B Alberta defence investment

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