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OTTAWA \u2014 The federal government will spend $3.7 billion to build 6,000 more housing units for Canada\u2019s military, Defence Minister David McGuinty said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
McGuinty made the announcement at CFB Uplands in Ottawa, but could not provide a timeline for when the new units would be built other than saying it will span \u201cseveral years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The units will be spread out across 25 communities, and build on the 800-some new units already under construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur bases are more than just workplaces, they\u2019re neighbourhoods, they\u2019re places where members access essential services, raise their families, get the care and support they need, and build a sense of belonging,\u201d McGuinty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s announcement is also about more than building just new housing. It\u2019s about strengthening the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
A report from Canada\u2019s auditor general last year said the military\u2019s housing units are getting older and are in poor condition. It also said the military had a shortfall in available housing across multiple bases.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat might mean that buildings didn\u2019t have safe drinking water \u2026 toilets weren\u2019t working, or there was structural damage to the exterior walls of the building,\u201d Auditor General Karen Hogan told a news conference in October after the report\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the kind of conditions that you and I wouldn\u2019t want to live in, and the kind of conditions I don\u2019t think we should expect our Canadian Armed Forces to live in.\u201d<\/p>\n
CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick is slated to get 500 new units from Tuesday\u2019s announcement, Kingston, Ont., is set to get 900 units, while Valcartier, Que., Petawawa, Ont., and Edmonton will each get more than 1,000 new units.<\/p>\n
Liberal MP David Myles, whose riding encompasses CFB Gagetown, said the funding for housing is \u201cgreat news,\u201d but Canadian Armed Forces members in his riding say other major infrastructure upgrades are also badly needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on a base, check it out and you\u2019ll see the needs are great. Many of these buildings haven\u2019t been touched since the 1960s,\u201d Myles, who accompanied McGuinty at the announcement, told The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s roads, and many of the large infrastructure buildings that house a lot of the equipment haven\u2019t been updated. It\u2019s like asbestos \u2014 that you wouldn\u2019t really want in a building.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGuinty said the extra funding will help with recruitment for the Armed Forces. He said recruitment is up by 13 per cent over the last eight months.<\/p>\n
Asked by reporters if 13 per cent was \u201cgood enough\u201d McGuinty replied, \u201cthat\u2019s pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThirteen per cent is 13 per cent more than it was a year ago,\u201d McGuinty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think applications are up because Canadians want to serve. Canadians are, I think, they\u2019re very engaged in the project called \u2018Canada\u2019 right now. I think they want to make sure that Canada remains a secure and sovereign country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conservative defence critic James Bezan said while his party welcomes the increased support for building homes, they remain skeptical the Liberals will actually deliver.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs reported by the National Defence committee, in 2023-2024, there was a wait-list of over 6,700 Canadian Armed Forces members waiting for military housing,\u201d Bezan said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lack of housing availability combined with the Liberal cost-of-living crisis resulted in numerous reports of troops living rough or in unsafe housing conditions to make ends meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n