New Headquarters for Kingston's Joint Signal Regiment

    OTTAWA, Aug. 5 /CNW/ - The Honourable John McCallum, Minister of National Defence, announced today the award of a $9.6 million contract to construct a new consolidated headquarters facility for the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment at CFB Kingston. The contract was awarded to R.E. Hein Construction Ltd. from Kanata, Ont., following a competitive bidding process.

    "A key component of Canadian Forces operations is the ability to deploy rapidly throughout Canada and the world in response to humanitarian issues or natural disasters," said Minister McCallum. "The Joint Signal Regiment is an integral part of the Canadian Forces Joint Operations Group and this
consolidated facility will enable them to provide timely and effective support to operations."

    "Currently, the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment is housed in two facilities on opposite sides of Kingston," said the Chief of the Defence Staff General Ray Henault. "The construction of a consolidated, modern facility at CFB Kingston will greatly enhance the operational efficiency of the Joint Operations Group."

    "I am very pleased that this new headquarters will be so centrally located," said the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, "and I am certain that the men and women who form part of the Joint Signal Regiment will be able to better discharge their responsibilities from this improved facility."

    The new facility will involve the construction of a 10,840 square-metre complex to be co-located with the current headquarters building - the Clement building - at CFB Kingston. The new facility will comprise warehouse spaces, troop rooms and offices. Minor renovations to the Clement building will also
be carried out as part of a future contract. Construction is expected to commence this summer and will be completed in June 2004, at which time the elements of the regiment currently operating at the Dalton Road facility will relocate to the consolidated building.

    Funding for this initiative is built into the existing fiscal framework.

  

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For further information: Information: (613) 996-2353/54; After hours:
(613) 792-2973; World Wide Web: http://www.forces.gc.ca