Visiting NATO troops take part in biological, chemical and radiation training at CFB Suffield in July 2022. The Department of National Defence is now designing a new $752-million laboratory at the defence research station to replace 70-year-old facilities.--News File Photo
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The largest single federal investment in history of southeast Alberta could be underway in 2027 as the Department of National Defence plans a new $750-million laboratory facility at the Suffield defence research centre.
The News has learned the federal defence minister’s office approved moving to design phase of the project in September and then quietly advertised for bids in the fall.
A required environmental impact assessment process is underway, while a request for proposals is expected to close by March.
The plan to “Modernize Chemical and Biological Research Laboratories DRDC Suffield,” estimates a $752-million budget, a planned ground-breaking in 2027 and grand opening in 2032.
“This new laboratory complex will consolidate many of the existing facilities and provide safe and modern laboratory and research space, office space, workshops, secure computing areas, storage and common areas to ensure that DRDC Suffield’s cutting-edge research continues to serve the Canadian Armed Forces into the future,” reads a statement from the Department of National Defence to the News on Friday.
The current main building at the research station opened in 1955 at a cost of $1.5 million, according to News reports at the time of the grand opening.
The military uses it to test and develop personal protective equipment, medical response, as well as to study blast dynamics, autonomous technology and provide chemical-biological-nuclear response training.
It will be subject to “targeted upgrades” until the replacement facility is ready, according to the DND statement, but is no longer site viable to upgrade to modern standards.
“Modern medical and scientific research facilities require specialized devices and advanced computing power to allow researchers to create analytical models and understand results,” it reads. “The current facility does not support new technologies and is at the end of its life cycle.”
Upgrades have been quietly discussed over the years, but the military’s presence in the region has come under greater focus since 2020. That year the British Army abandoned large-scale training at the adjacent base, which is jointly managed under long-term agreement with Canada. That country has since moved to consolidate armour training as a move to modernize that country’s battlefield capacity.
Political pressure to increase defence spending and research to improve Canada’s military is likely behind the Suffield project, said Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz, who says he has promoted the potential of the base to federal ministries and departments.
“It’s nothing but good news and a commitment to the military that’s long overdue,” said Motz on Friday. “It’s certainly great for the riding. The whole research centre at Suffield is growing … a modern, cutting-edge facility … is good news.”
Discussions with former Liberal defence minister Anita Anand and current Defence Minister Bill Blair have been ongoing for sometime, Motz said, reiterating his Conservative Party’s support for strengthening the military.
“I consider it an amazing – maybe one of the best in the world – training facilities that we should explore (expanding).”
Medicine Hat resident June Winger is the president of the National Defence Workers Union, which represents scientific support staff, trades and administrative workers at the station and across Canada.
She told the News that replacement for the SRC facility was needed and discussed when she began working at the facility in 2001.
“This has been needed forever,” she said, stating the physical state of the building is limiting and workspaces out of date. “If it actually progresses, our members will be very happy … but to have this done by 2032 will be challenging.”
The state of Canadian defence infrastructure throughout the country is “dismal at best” she said, and there are many competing priorities, as well as the question of ongoing maintenance and staffing levels.
Each year, CFB Suffield hosts NATO chemical and biological warfare training, and has increasingly been discussed as a potential home for unmanned aircraft testing. It has a 500-square kilometre proving ground, and is adjacent to the 2,700-square-kilometre firing range at CFB Suffield, located 40 kilometres west of Medicine Hat.
Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright is the provincial government’s military liaison and has promoted aerospace and high-tech defence research as an economic opportunity for the region.
He called the proposal a “significant investment … to advancing our region’s capabilities in aerospace and aviation.
“The enhancements … will not only modernize the facility but also bolster our local economy and create new opportunities for growth and innovation.”
Defence contractors used the proving ground for an unmanned aircraft showcase and development working conference in 2024 and will return in 2026.
