DND spent $6.4M renovating buildings for refugee housing that went unused

The federal government spent $6.4 million renovating accommodations on five military bases to provide temporary living arrangements for Syrian refugees, but none of the facilities have been used.

The upgrades to military buildings created enough lodging for 6,159 refugees, at a cost of a little more than $1,000 per bed, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in response to a written question by Conservative MP James Bezan.

• 25,000 Syrian refugees have landed, now for Phase 2
• Hotel rooms for refugees just for short-term help
• Refugees to be temporarily housed at military sites

The biggest investment took place at CFB Valcartier, where $2.82 million was spent on electrical upgrades, winterizing 10 buildings and constructing 31 additional units to house up to 2,139 refugees.

Another $2.64 million was spent at CFB Borden to insulate 236 Weatherhaven shelters, install heaters, enhance security, rent heaters and tents and upgrade existing buildings for 1,500 refugees.

At CFB Kingston, in order to house693 refugees,$400,000 was spent to install a new ventilation system in the kitchen,while $275,000 was spent at CFB Trenton to replace furnaces, install hot water storage tanks, replace smoke and fire alarms and install heaters, in orderto house 992 refugees.

At CFB Meaford,$255,000 was spent to install a large shelter for social, recreational and or cultural or religiousworship to make room for 335 refugees.

As of Feb. 29, noneofthe facilities had been used.

In preparing for the refugee arrival, Immigration Minister John McCallum said that he only planned to use the military bases for accommodation as "a last resort."

Personnel relocated

To make room for the new arrivals the Department of National Defence relocated 370 military personnel from CFB Kingston and another 10 from CFB Valcartier.

Had the bases been used, the Defence Department had a plan to post almost 1,000 military personnel to the five bases and CFB Petawawa in order to facilitatethe refugee resettlement and provide services for the Syrians housed there.

The written answer from Sajjanalso explains that the cost of the renovationswould be absorbed by the Defence Department's existing budget and that the spending would not affect"current operations or current capabilities."

It also revealed that as of Feb. 28, all of theCanadian Forces personneldeployed to facilitate and screen refugeeshave returned home:three who were deployed to Turkey, 144 to Lebanon and 84 to Jordan.

Watch this video, shot in November2015, showing CFB Trenton'spreparations for refugees that never came:

CFB Trenton prepares for Syrian refugees

9 years ago

Duration 2:01

CBC's James Murray takes us through the facilities