Canadian Forces' $77M renovations 'outrageous'
Article Link
Tobi Cohen And Beatrice Fantoni, Postmedia News · Aug. 13, 2011 | Last Updated: Aug. 13, 2011 3:03 AM ET
A $77-million kitchen renovation on a Canadian Forces Base has raised questions about whether the government really is trimming the fat on spending.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay visited CFB Borden in Borden, Ont., on Friday to announced the project to replace four kitchen facilities on the base - including the officers mess, the senior NCO mess and the junior ranks dining halls - with two 6,133-squaremetre "all-ranks kitchen and dining facilities."
"These new buildings will help promote a greater sense of cohesion and camaraderie among the Canadian Forces personnel here at CFB Borden, as all members will be able to share a single location for their meals," Mr. MacKay said in a news release, noting the project will create 415 local jobs.
Critics called it a questionable expense, especially at a time when the government says it intends to cut expenditures.
"We do have to question how they're setting their priorities in terms of dealing with the deficit," NDP defence critic Jack Harris told Postmedia News.
"It seems - on the surface - an outrageous amount of money for dining facilities," Mr. Harris said.
The government recently announced the shutdown of two search-and-rescue co-ordinating centres, in Quebec City and St. John's, to save "probably a couple of million dollars a year" and yet it can find the cash to replace existing buildings, he added.
"Canadians are going to question the timing of this announcement," said Gregory Thomas of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. While the armed forces should have upto-date equipment and infrastructure, the country is running a $30-billion deficit and this type of spending will be difficult to justify to the public, Mr. Thomas said.
In contrast, the news was met with support from the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
"This is like a little shining light in the dark. It's nice for us to see that money is spent on (the Department of National Defence)," said Serge Desbiens, vice-president of the Union of National Defence Employees, which is part of PSAC.
Each dining facility will be able to serve about 1,500 people at a time. Of the existing four facilities, two will remain in use as mess facilities, according to details provided from CFB Borden.
More on link