Canadian government invests in CH-147 Chinook infrastructure

The Honourable Laurie Hawn, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today attended the sod turning ceremony for the construction of a new hangar to house 15 CF-147F Chinook helicopters at CFB Petawawa.

Accompanying Parliamentary Secretary Hawn at the event was Cheryl Gallant, Member of Parliament for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke.

“State-of-the-art equipment is essential to the effectiveness of a modern military, but we must ensure we have the proper support to maintain these impressive machines,” said Parliamentary Secretary Hawn. “This new hangar will play a vital role in the future of CFB Petawawa by providing the support it needs to house Canada’s new fleet of CH-147 Chinook helicopters.”

This ceremony follows the Minister MacKay’s recent announcement of a contract award of $134.8 million to EllisDon Corporation for the construction of the new hangar in October 2010.

“With the construction of new defence infrastructure here at CFB Petawawa, comes new jobs for Canadians and growth for the local economy,” said Mrs. Gallant. “We are excited at the prospects that continue to stem from the procurement of these new CH-147 Chinook helicopters and their future here at CFB Petawawa.”

This project involves the construction of a new 50,000 m2 hangar that will consist of six main components including first and second line maintenance bays, CAE and Boeing training schools, a backshop and warehouse, a Department of National Defence Command Suite; and a fenced-in parking area. 

In line with the Canada First Defence Strategy, there is a need to update and replace dated defence infrastructure in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Government of Canada conducted an open, fair, and transparent competitive process to award the contract for the construction of the new CH-147 Chinook Hangar at CFB Petawawa.

The Department of National Defence holds a large number of properties all across the country to support the Canadian Forces, including some 21,000 buildings, 2.25 million hectares of land, 5,500 km of roads, and 3,000 km of water, storm, and sewer pipes.

Source: Canadian Armed Forces