COLD LAKE, AB- Defence Minister Peter MacKay was in Cold Lake Sunday, to announce new funding and infrastructure upgrades at the Canadian Forces Base.
MacKay announced $21.5 million in funding to support training for Canada’s fighter jet pilots and an infrastructure upgrade to the Military Family Resource Centre’s daycare facility at 4 Wing Cold Lake.
“This Government remains committed to ensuring that a sufficient number of personnel are trained to required levels and that the necessary equipment is available, for both the training and operations needed to take on future security challenges,” Minister MacKay said in a release. “At the same time, we are investing in the health of military communities and daycare facilities, which form a vital component of our government’s efforts to improve the quality of life for the personnel serving at 4 Wing.”
$19.6 million will go towards providing CF-18 pilot training and simulator operation services to the Canadian Armed Forces.
The contract, which was awarded to Select Global International Limitee of Laval, Quebec, will provide CF-18 pilots with training on the updated aircraft and weapons systems. It is currently a five-year contract with options that could extend it to 10 years.
$1.9 million will go towards the daycare project. Mackay says the money will be used to expand the existing space, which will result in an additional number of available child care spaces for 4 Wing personnel.
The announcements came just one day after MacKay unveiled a number of funding projects at CFB Edmonton and other Canadian Forces bases in Alberta, including nearly $6 million in upgrades to aging infrastructure.
The federal government has already announced other steps it says will improve the quality of life at 4 Wing Cold Lake, the busiest fighter base in Canada.
MacKay announced a 10 per cent reduction on a proposed rent increase for Canadian Armed Forces military housing at 4 Wing.
The monthly charge for military housing in Cold Lake was set to increase by almost 9 per cent next year. Now, military housing will have an average rent reduction of about one per cent.
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