Government of Canada awards major contract for infrastructure upgrades at Canadian Coast Guard College

Multi-year project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create middle-class jobs and provide capacity-building opportunities for local Indigenous communities

SYDNEY, NS, Jan. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - By investing in the Canadian Coast Guard College, the Government of Canada is ensuring that the Canadian Coast Guard is equipped with the modern and energy-efficient facilities it needs to train the men and women who keep Canada's waterways and coastlines safe.

Today, the Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced a $53.6 million (HST included) contract awarded to Joneljim Concrete Construction (1994) Limited of Sydney, Nova Scotia, to replace the mechanical and sprinkler systems at the Canadian Coast Guard College, located in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The work will include the installation of state-of-the-art heat pump technology that will use ocean water from Sydney Harbour to provide heating and cooling to the entire campus. This new system is expected to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the College by approximately 20% each year, and reduce the College's annual operating costs by 25%. 

The project will also include the replacement of the dry sprinkler system in the residence complex and boat house to ensure that cadets and staff have a safe learning and working environment.

This multi-year project is expected to create and sustain between 60 and 80 well-paying jobs over the course of the project in Cape Breton. Following consultations with local Indigenous groups, it was decided that the contract must provide meaningful employment and training opportunities for Indigenous Peoples.

Work is expected to conclude in 2023. Activities will be planned with the intent to minimize disruptions to the operations at the College.

Quick facts

• The Canadian Coast Guard College was built in its current location in 1981. The buildings' original systems have reached the end of their useful lives and must be replaced.
• As part of the project to upgrade the mechanical systems, two other construction contracts were awarded following a competitive tendering process in August 2018 to Joneljim Concrete Construction (1994) Limited for the installation of the seawater pumping system and related infrastructure ($1.6 million, HST included), and for the upgrades to the mechanical systems at the Louis S. St-Laurent Building ($2 million, HST included).
• The Canadian Coast Guard College campus sits on 44.5 hectares (110 acres) and has over 36,000 square metres of mixed space, including an academic complex, simulator areas, residential wings, a waterfront training complex and a marine engineering training complex.

Quotes

"Canadians can be confident that the Canadian Coast Guard College ensures the men and women of the Coast Guard are well prepared for their important work in keeping our waters and coasts safe. This investment is a tangible example of how our government is taking action on climate change, creating good jobs for the middle class, and growing the economy. Once completed, this project will reduce the College's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20%, and save the College 25% in annual operating costs."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson  
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"Public Services and Procurement Canada is proud to play a key role in providing the Canadian Coast Guard with modern, efficient and safe facilities to train its members. By investing in green technology at the Canadian Coast Guard College, our government is reducing its carbon footprint, while reducing operating costs."

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough  
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

"This project will create good employment opportunities for the tradespeople and others in our communities, and will provide meaningful opportunities for local Indigenous Peoples. Through this investment, we continue to grow the economy in Nova Scotia while ensuring that the Canadian Coast Guard College remains a modern facility for many years to come."

The Honourable Mark Eyking  
Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria

Associated links

Canadian Coast Guard College

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

For further information: Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, 819-997-5421; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [e-mail]; Jocelyn Lubczuk, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-548-7863, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [e-mail]

Related Links

www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca