The Minister of National Defence announced August 7, 2024 that a new, 480-room accommodations facility for Canadian Armed Forces members will be built at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt – and that a contract has been awarded to begin design work.
The new 31,700 m2 facility for junior sailors will provide incoming Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) personnel with modern and functional infrastructure at CFB Esquimalt as they train and prepare for tomorrow’s security challenges.
The new facility will consolidate several functions across the base into one new, central, and modern high-rise. It will include approximately 480 single occupancy rooms, administrative areas, a dining area and galley capable of serving 700 people, a mess that can support 400 people, postal services, coffee shops, and more.
The total design and construction contract cost is estimated at $165 million – and the design portion of the design-build contract has now been awarded to Ellis Don Corporation for $10.1 million. Estimated costs are subject to change as design progresses. We expect this project to create or sustain almost 900 jobs during construction.
Aligned with the RCN’s Future Naval Training Strategy, these new, consolidated modern accommodations will support the RCN’s intent to have a bi-coastal training model that better meets the needs of our personnel in Esquimalt, helping to limit travel and time away from their families.
CFAX photo