4-Wing Receives $45.7 Million in Federal Funding

The new health centre on The 4-Wing Cold Lake Base is now estimated to cost $25 million. The centre was originally estimated to cost $14 million. The base will receive $45.7 million in funding, which will include the health centre, as well as, improvements to the airfield.

The increase is largely due to the fact that the Federal Infrastructure Investment Plan (FIP) was the only factor in the cost when the project was announced on March 4th, 2015. When originally assessed other investments were not factored in. Now that 4-Wing has a better idea of what will be contributed by the Defense Infrastructure Budget – or the Capital Investment Plan (CIP), the cost has increased quite significantly. CIP will contribute $31 million to the project.

With a better idea of the final cost of the project the government has put out tender on the project. As of July 30th, three local contractors have bid on the project, which will include the opportunity to design the centre. The cost of this phase will be $25 million.

The rest of the funding will go towards improving 4-Wing’s airfield, which has not gone to tender yet. The improvements include $5.8 million to improve drainage and resurfacing of the runways. Storm sewers will be worked on with a cost of $10 million. The sewers run underneath the ramp surfaces, so those will get an overhaul and resurfacing.

Filling cracks on the roads used by the planes is the only portion of the improvements to the airfield that has been tendered by the government thus far. The estimated cost of that project is $900 thousand. The hope is to finish this portion before November.

When announced in March, a portion of the FIP will go towards upgrades to military housing. The houses, which were built in the late 1940s through 1960s, will include new windows, doors, and siding. There is also money in the budget to build more private married quarters (PMQ).