Defence Construction Canada is currently piloting a major three-phase construction project at the Saint-Hubert Garrison. The central element of this large-scale project is the construction of building M-196, which will become the Garrison's armoury. Building M-196 will be LEED Silver certified. It features modern architecture and abundant windows over an area of 8,900 m2. The new armoury provides space that can be used by several Reserve units simultaneously. It contains numerous offices, classrooms, computer rooms, a shooting simulator for the various Army Reserve units and cadets, a parade hall, interior loading bays and storage rooms. The first phase of this major infrastructure project was delivered by DCC last December.
However, the overall project is not finished. In the second phase, DCC is overseeing the renovation of the adjacent building M-70, which is currently underway. M-70 will now contain a professional kitchen, a mess hall and a gym for members to train. This involves a complete renovation of the facilities and a 150-m2 expansion of the existing infrastructure.
A few DCC employees attended the January 16, 2019, ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new armoury at the Saint-Hubert Garrison with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in attendance.
Lastly, the third and final phase of the project will consist of relocating the mechanical room from building M-2 to M-3 and demolishing building M-2, which is aging and obsolete.
"The project is going very well, and we are delivering modern, functional and environmentally friendly facilities. We act as a quality watchdog for contractors to ensure that work is carried out to specification, on schedule and within budget," says Alain Schneiter, DCC Program Leader.
The total project, worth $50 million, was awarded in 2016 and will be completed by 2020.