As we get closer to the upcoming federal budget, many new investments have been announced including one that will have a direct impact on personnel at CFB Trenton.
While most of the spotlight last week was on things like hiring 1,000 more people to work with the RCMP, or the additional funding to hire one-thousand more Canada Border Services Agency officers, Canada’s best and bravest also got some overdue attention.
The Federal Government on Thursday announced a push to add housing units at a number of bases across the country.
As part of the defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free, hundreds of housing units are being added at or around nine bases initially, including 92 units starting construction this fall at CFB Trenton (with more to come).
The first units are going to bases where the need is the greatest, and I was very pleased to see that CFB Trenton was not overlooked.
Canada’s busiest airbase, and the nexus for search and rescue for the largest area in the entire country, will be adding more resources and more personnel consistently over the next few years
While some projects have been announced, others are sure to follow as we continue to increase military spending up to 2% of GDP (gross domestic product) initially and eventually 5% of GDP to satisfy a pledge to NATO.
Many of those assets will include fighters, transport planes, drones, new surveillance technology and people with the technical skills to make it all work. Most of that is going to be located at or supported directly by 8 Wing.
CFB Trenton is the beating heart of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the people who work everyday to protect us at home and abroad shouldn’t be worried about having a safe and affordable place to live once they again touch down at home base.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
(PAUL MARTIN)
