A new building that houses daycare facilities for children of Canadian Forces personnel has been closed down twice because of mould and problems with fire-protection systems and other issues and is not expected to re-open until 2028.
The $18-million community centre at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright , Alta., opened in July 2021 following an inspection and acceptance by defence officials.
But the building was quickly shut down after black mould was found, and there were electrical issues affecting various equipment for operating heating and ventilation systems. Representatives of a union for employees at the base say there were also concerns about lead in the drinking water.
The building, which houses the daycare, family-resource services and other support agencies for military families, is expected to re-open in the spring of 2028, according to Department of National Defence records obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.
DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku confirmed that the facility was originally closed to allow crews to complete repairs once the problems were detected. It reopened in late 2023.
But then it had to close again in early 2024, when more problems were found. “During extreme cold in early 2024, additional vulnerabilities in the building and mechanical systems were detected, including damage to elements of the fire-protection system,” Sadiku stated.
June Winger, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees, raised concerns about the ongoing problems with the community centre at a Senate defence committee meeting in April. She said the children of military personnel had been moved to a temporary building for the time-being.
“This is a complete fiasco and a waste of tax dollars,” Winger told the Ottawa Citizen. “This is directly affecting military families.”
Winger said repairing the various problems with the Wainwright building would cost taxpayers more than $2 million.
But she is also concerned about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans to spend tens of billions of dollars more on new infrastructure. Winger warned there was a general lack of oversight of such construction projects. “Are we going to see a repeat of this mess?” she said.
Winger pointed out that building the facility at CFB Wainwright originally cost $11.4 million, and the design contract was worth another $1.68 million. The overall project was worth $18.5 million, according to DND.
Sadiku said the facility would re-open once fixes were finished and the commissioning and safety certifications were completed.
“Construction is anticipated over Spring and Summer 2027 with a projected completion estimate of Spring 2028,” the DND documents noted.
Sadiku said that architectural and building systems were being redesigned to allow better moisture control and air flow. “These adaptations will allow the facility to withstand extreme cold conditions and prevent the same issues from happening again,” he added.
DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin said some deficiencies were fixed through applicable warranties and others were not. No comment was provided by DND about UNDE’s estimate that it would cost taxpayers more than $2 million to fix the problems.
Poulin said no concerns were raised with DND about the CFB Wainwright building before it was opened. “The inspection and acceptance processes in place prior to the Community Centre opening in July 2021 did not identify several hidden issues that only became noticeable once the building was being used,” she stated.
But Winger said that was not correct. UNDE members who were to maintain the building pointed out significant problems with the facility before it opened, she said.
The Canadian government has recently made a series of infrastructure announcements. In March, Prime Minister Carney said the government would spend $35 billion on defence and new infrastructure in the Arctic. That included building new military hubs, roads and improving northern airports.
Later that same month, Carney announced $3 billion for new defence infrastructure in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Billions of dollars will also be spent on the West Coast on new infrastructure for submarines and housing for additional personnel.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe
