Renovations are underway to modernize the 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton, commonly called the Steele Barracks, to upgrade the 124 buildings on the base for energy efficiency.
Minister of National Defence Bill Blair made the announcement, alongside Minister of Employment and Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault, on Monday.
“We’ll be upgrading everything from lighting to heat to energy recovery systems, installing better, more efficient water fixtures and much more. And these upgrades will help reduce energy costs on the base by 21 per cent.
“Which will save Canadian taxpayers $2M every year, $2M that could be better invested in support for our Canadian armed Forces,” said Blair.
The retrofitting will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the site by more than 5,200 Tonnes per year, which Blair said is like taking nearly 1,000 cars off the road.
All of this is good news for Edmonton Garrison, as our members will have cleaner, more modern facilities for operating and for training. It’s also good news, of course, for the environment. It’s going to help save money along the way,” Blair said.
The project will spur 125 construction jobs, and Blair expects the renovations, which recently began, to be completed by 2026 and begin reducing energy use by the end next year.
Watch Blair’s announcement on CPAC.
