Topic: 'It's time to consolidate NDHQ' & 'DND to take-over Nortel Campus' (Merged threads)

[Crantor]

And how often do folks at NDHQ actually do PWTs?  Probably just as easy to send people up to Petawawa for a PWT cycle than it is to use Connaught.  Even if you didn't close all the ranges at Connaught, there's a relatively sizable chunk of land there that could be developed for housing.

there isn`t that much room for PMQs.  They can barely find room for new shacks.

[Pusser]

It appears to me that there is bags of room at Uplands for PMQs - of course from what I can see, the ones they have are not fully utilized to start with.

Don't close Connaught.  It's actually a pretty good facility and they run it with a modicum of common sense so that I can actually stay current on all weapons, first aid, CBRN, etc training without completely disrupting my job.  Going to Petawawa for this simply wouldn't happen.

[acooper]

I'd agree that there's lots of room at Uplands for more stuff, but I'm not sure how proximity to the airport might limit those things. I know there are vacancies in the SHHO townhomes (our neighbor just moved out to deploy to Afghanistan), I'm not sure on the PMQ side of things, however...

[AmmoTech90]

And how often do folks at NDHQ actually do PWTs?  Probably just as easy to send people up to Petawawa for a PWT cycle than it is to use Connaught.  Even if you didn't close all the ranges at Connaught, there's a relatively sizable chunk of land there that could be developed for housing.

PWT (Rifle/Pistol)/CBRN/First Aid are run almost weekly in Connaught.  It is run for individuals who deploy and also for units (for example my unit had a week long block booked and we got the majority of pers through).  This is in addition to competition shooting (there is a NDHQ shooting club)

[gun runner]

I think the question was more geared to 'How many(at NDHQ) would really bother at all with PWT, or even know the business end of a weapon?'.My two cents.Cheers.

[Pusser]

Actually, quite a few.  Ironically, I've re-qualified on weapons here in "static" Ottawa more times in the last three years than in many more years on "operational" bases.

[gun runner]

Well, for that I am truly humbled.I stand corrected Sir.Ubique

[Occam]

My house in Orleans is still available for purchase...anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?


Public Works DND completes $208M purchase of Nortel's Ottawa campus

Original link

OTTAWA - Public Works and Government Services Canada has purchased Nortel's Carling campus for $208 million and confirmed plans to relocate a significant portion of Department of National Defence operations there.

DND has been planning for years to consolidate its offices, which are spread throughout the city, into a few key locations. Public Works announced Friday that DND employees will move to the new location in phases over the next five to seven years, with some Nortel employees remaining during the transition.

Public Works will assume all of Nortel's leases at the Carling campus. Ciena will be paid $33.5 million for the early termination of its lease, which has been shortened from 10 to five years.

A spokesman for Public Works said DND will continue to occupy its current downtown headquarters. The cost of refurbishing the building from electronic labs into office space has not yet been determined.


National Defence to take over former Nortel campus

Original link

The Department of National Defence will be moving a significant portion of its operations to the former Nortel campus on Carling Avenue.

Public Works announced Friday that it had closed the deal to buy the nearly 400-acre complex and its 12 huge buildings for $208 million. The release from Public Works says that DND will eventually take over the entire complex and its 2-million square feet of space.

In a statement, Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay said the government is proud to provide DND with "a new, modern home." MacKay also said housing a large portion of the capital region's defence community at one location is a major step forward in strengthening the entire defence team.

A third party review said the purchase of the nearly 400-acre complex was a good buy.

There has been speculation for years that DND would move to another location, however many employees of DND live in the east of the city and have indicated they wouldn't like it if their workplace moved to the west.

No timeline has been released for the relocation of DND.

[Snakedoc]

This is great news from an organizational standpoint.  Hopefully the transition can be made smoothly for pers living in the NCR over the next several years.

[Nemo888]

I wouldn't want a PMQ in Connaught. I would definitely not recommend digging around there.  There have been cases of Lyme in the training area as well. Not kid friendly. Don't get me going about the livability of Connaught's shacks. Over a century of history there though.

[PMedMoe]

It's been a while since the Nortel move has been in the news.

Defence hides high costs–again

Senior officials at the Department of National Defence made sure references to the $600-million-plus cost of renovating a former Nortel research complex were removed from public statements and documents, apparently fearful of what the public and MPs might think if they knew the cost of adapting the former high-tech company’s Ottawa campus to the department’s needs .... according to an email .... an assistant to Robert Fonberg, the department’s deputy minister, wrote that Fonberg was concerned about telling the public about the cost, asking: “Why are we using the $623m(illion) fit up cost? It is without context and will be a lightning rod!” That cost estimate was later removed from public documents about the purchase of the old Nortel real estate.

More at link

- mod edit to change link (similar content) IAW site owner instructions -

[milnews.ca]

Mr. David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre, NDP):  Mr. Speaker, Conservatives' lack of transparency on spending reached a new low this week. When the media asked how much the Department of National Defence's HQ renovation would cost, the government responded by saying, “Go file an access to information request”.  Now we find out that this paranoid government had the number of $623 million all along but would not release it to the public, so I ask the minister this question: what could possibly be the justification for keeping this number secret?

Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of National Defence, CPC):  Mr. Speaker, yes, in fact, the Department of National Defence and the public works department are collaborating to consolidate the workforce of national defence here in the nation's capital. We are moving forward with a plan to have those consolidated workforces go from 48 different buildings to 7 in the national capital. An independent third-party analysis has looked at this plan and has come back with the numbers. There will be a cost saving, a long-term ongoing savings, estimated at around $30 million a year. This is good news for taxpayers, and I know the member opposite will want to support it.

Mr. David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre, NDP):  Mr. Speaker, we will deal with the issue of whether or not we are getting value for dollars afterwards, but right now I would like an answer to the question of why the government felt it was necessary to keep a number that it already had secret from the media, secret from the public and secret from this Parliament.  What is the justification for the secrecy?

Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of National Defence, CPC):  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his question, albeit in a rant. I will answer the question again. This is a good move for the Department of National Defence. It will see us consolidate our headquarters at the Nortel campus, which was purchased, I again repeat, to save money. This was done looking at the spending levels that were recorded.  Where were they recorded? It was at a Senate hearing some nine months ago.  Where were they recorded? I spoke about this in transcript at the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, of which the member opposite was a member.

Hansard, 29 Nov 11

[Wookilar]

Anyone fill me in on the status of this?
My google-fu is fairly strong and the only time-lines I've seen mentioned are civvies guessing at a 2015-16 timeframe.

Career mangler has indicated that we will be moving to Ottawa next year. I do not know the city/area at all and we are starting to do our homework.

Does this make a commute from north of the city more reasonable?

This, hopefully, will be our last move (well, second last I suppose) so we should be planted for a bit. If so, do not want to compromise too much on what we are looking for in a new home.

Also, who is moving? Specifically I am looking at where DLR or ADM(MAT) are/will be. Or am I just whistling Dixie hoping that we can actually plan that far out lol?

Thanks.

Wook

[Crantor]

ADM (Mat) will be consolidating mostly at LSTL in Gatineau. Parking there is cheaper than in Ottawa, buses depending on where you are communting from can be a pain.  Regardless, if you are in Ottawa, the bridges can sometimes be an issue.

[Occam]

ADM (Mat) will be consolidating mostly at LSTL in Gatineau. Parking there is cheaper than in Ottawa, buses depending on where you are communting from can be a pain.  Regardless, if you are in Ottawa, the bridges can sometimes be an issue.

There's some consolidation going on at LStL, but it's still only going to be DGMEPM/DGAEPM/DGLEPM.  Much of the remainder of of ADM(Mat) will still be spread out over hell's creation the NCR.

Wookilar, unless you have a particular position number, you're going to need a crystal ball to figure out what site you'll be at, unfortunately.

[Wookilar]

... you're going to need a crystal ball to figure out what site you'll be at, unfortunately.

I have one, but the darn thing hazes over anytime I scry into the Ottawa valley  . Must be a google maps filter or something

Thanks, figured I was trying to look too far out just yet.

Wook

[CountDC]

even a position number won't help as there is no garuntee you will be employed in it once you arrive at the unit.  I was supposed to be at Uplands when I was posted to Ottawa and ended up at Pearkes instead.  My next posting was supposed to be in LSTL but I stayed at Peakes.  Same with my current - another building but stayed at Pearkes.

Best to contact the unit and find out where they will actually be putting you, if that position is on the list to be moved (athough that can change) and if it is when is it slated to move.