Aging military infrastructure unlikely to aid Trudeau’s housing plan

A significant portion of Canada's military infrastructure is aging and in need of major repairs, making it unlikely to contribute meaningfully to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's proposal to recycle federal properties for housing, according to an internal audit by the Department of National Defence (DND).Blacklock's Reporter says the audit, titled Audit Of Defence Infrastructure, revealed that at least 25% of the DND's buildings and infrastructure date back to the 1970s and require "significant maintenance, repair, and recapitalization" to remain serviceable and compliant with health, safety, and environmental regulations. The military, which is the second-largest federal landlord after the Department of Public Works, manages approximately 21,000 buildings with a total replacement cost of around $28 billion."The aging real property portfolio, complexity of infrastructure service requirements, and growing need to improve and recapitalize existing infrastructure to support ever-changing operational requirements all continue to put pressure on financial and human resources," the audit stated.This revelation casts doubt on Trudeau's repeated claims that federal property could be repurposed to address Canada's ongoing housing crisis. "This is an ambitious plan that meets the moment," Trudeau said on April 24, emphasizing the need to explore all available options to address the shortage of affordable housing.However, a federal inventory tabled in the Commons on April 23 identified only a few hundred vacant federal buildings and lots across the country, many of which appear unsuitable for development. The inventory, presented in response to a request from Conservative MP Eric Duncan (Stormont-Dundas, Ont.), included properties such as a 2,200-square-foot cattle barn in Brandon, Manitoba, former penitentiary buildings in Kingston, Ontario, and boat sheds in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.The inventory also listed 263 undeveloped lands, including Parks Canada parking lots, a former DND firing range in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec, and vacant lots near remote locations like a Coast Guard lighthouse in Gabarus, Nova Scotia, and Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador.Despite these challenges, Trudeau's government has pledged to build 3.8 million new homes by 2030, in addition to the roughly 240,000 housing starts that occur annually. "We will be reviving the dream of home ownership for young Canadians," Trudeau told the Commons on May 1. "We have put forward the most comprehensive and ambitious housing plan this country has ever seen."

Aging military infrastructure unlikely to aid Trudeau’s housing plan

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