Edmonton Garrison receives $45M from Ottawa for retrofits, upgrades

The minister of national defense was at the Edmonton Garrison to announce $45.3 million in funding to upgrade the base.

The Edmonton Garrison is the headquarters of the 3rd Canadian Division, the largest of the army's four divisions. It encompasses units from over 130 communities from Thunder Bay to Victoria and Lethbridge to Resolute Bay, nearly 15,000 personnel, according to Brig.-Gen. Steve Graham.

Upgrades to 124 buildings at the garrison will include "everything from lighting, to heat, to energy recovery systems, installing better, more efficient water fixtures, and much more," National Defense Minister Bill Blair said.

"These upgrades will help reduce energy costs on the base by 21 per cent, which will save Canadian taxpayers $2 million every year… that will lower greenhouse gas emissions by over 5,200 tons a year."

Work on the upgrades at the Edmonton Garrison is underway and is scheduled to continue through 2026. The government expects to see the effects of the energy cost savings by 2025.

"The Canadian Armed Forces of Edmonton have always answered the call of service, from training Ukraine’s heroes, to supporting Canadians in need during forest fires," Minister of Employment Randy Boissonnault said. "As our strategies adapt to meet the demands of our ever-changing environment, this means upgrading our base infrastructure to reduce emissions and support our green industry.

"This investment is one step towards improving our training facilities and making them resilient for a net zero future."

Brig.-Gen. Steve Graham (left) with Minister Bill Blair (centre) and Minister Randy Boissonnault (right) at a press conference in Edmonton on March 4, 2024. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)

Since 2015, 15 similar projects have been implemented at bases and wings across Canada, with nearly $515 million invested in greenhouse gas reduction and energy improvements, according to the federal government.

"Once the energy performance contract projects underway are completed, we expect to reduce our annual energy costs by nearly $20 million per year and reduce our emissions by over 80,000 tonnes annually," the government wrote in a news release.