Goose Bay: Promises & updates

[Nfld Sapper]

Probably the TBG, also Germans are back doing flying ops there now....

 

[The Bread Guy]

More grist for the rumour mill, from MERX:

.... The work includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the supply of labour, material, supervision and equipment necessary to perform concrete repairs in various areas of the Airfield, Goose Bay, NL .... The estimated cost for this opportunity is in the order of $1,562,500.00 ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

.... The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence will make an announcement at 5 Wing Goose Bay Monday, August 13. Media are invited to attend.

When: Monday, August 13, 2012

Time: 8:15 a.m.

Where: Allied Mess Hall, 560 Hurricane Lane, 5 Wing Goose Bay ....

CF/DND Info-machine media advisory, 12 Aug 12

 

[The Bread Guy]

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, joined by the Honourable Peter Penashue, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, today announced a major investment for infrastructure and remediation work at 5 Wing Goose Bay. The Minister announced two wing infrastructure improvement projects and 10 contract awards for remediation activities as part of the Goose Bay Remediation Project (GBRP)  .... Since the Second World War, 5 Wing Goose Bay has had a continuous international military presence. Infrastructure improvements include airfield concrete repairs and roof repairs to Building 354, for an investment of over CAN$2 million .... The GBRP is part of a larger Government of Canada initiative to assess and remediate federal contaminated sites. The 10 contracts awarded under the GBRP include fence installation, fuel recovery, upgrades to a fuel transfer area, soil and site remediation, environmental drilling, risk assessment, and survey work ....

News release, 13 Aug 12

From the Backgrounder:

.... On August 13, 2012, two contract awards for Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Forces (CF) related infrastructure projects and 10 contract awards for remediation activities under the Goose Bay Remediation Project (GBRP) were announced. These contracts represent an investment of approximately $6.2 million, and were all awarded through open, fair and transparent processes.

5 Wing Goose Bay Airfield facilitates over 35,000 take offs and landings per year. In 2011, over 700 military aircraft accounted for close to 3,000 of those air movements.

The majority of repairs to concrete around the airfield will be made to the ramp and apron areas adjacent to the terminal. The contract for over $1 million was awarded to Crown Contracting Inc. of Mount Pearl, N.L.

Building 354, also known as the Joint Training Centre, accommodates all types of classroom training and can be used for larger conferences or events. The Joint Training Centre is also used for wing readiness and external unit training, including winter familiarization and survival training.

As the roof is at the end of its life-cycle, the repairs to Building 354 will ensure its continued functionality for years to come. The contract for $998,998 was awarded to Ravencor Projects Inc. of St. John’s, N.L. ....

The Backgrounder also lists other remediation work that's been done on the base.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Even MORE work being done @ Goose Bay....

• “Dome Mountain PHC Soil Remediation, Goose Bay, NL. …. The work includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the supply of labour, material, and equipment necessary for the excavation and disposal of PHC impacted soil, re-instatement of site with clean material …. The estimated cost for this opportunity is in the order of $1,992,400.00 ….”
• “Upper Tank Farm Storage Shed and Containment Pad Upgrade, Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador
  …. The work includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the supply of labour, material, supervision and equipment necessary to perform upgrades to the upper tank farm area to include a new containment pad for 100,000 litre used oil tank and replacement of existing oil/intercept shed, Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador …. The estimated cost for this opportunity is in the order of $235,000.00
  .... ”

 

[McG]

Even though planned growth positions have been stopped and budgets are being cut, some good ideas seem to keep on going:

Dunderdale mildly encouraged by report on 5 Wing Goose Bay
James McLeod
The Telegram (St. John's)
27 Nov 2012

Premier Kathy Dunderdale didn't have a lot to say about a report from the Ottawa Citizen that seems to indicate the federal government may intend to breathe new life into the Canadian Forces base at Goose Bay.

Dunderdale said she liked what she read, but she didn't offer any more details beyond that to reporters.

"I can't verify the report, but I'm delighted to hear it," she said. "It's long past time for something to be done, and you know, there's indications that there is movement on that file. That's only good news to all of us here in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly Labrador."

The Citizen reported Prime Minister Stephen Harper has written two letters in the past year to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, pressing him to find a more active role for the 5 Wing Goose Bay base.

In the letters, dated Jan. 17 and June 15, Harper told MacKay to look for a way for Goose Bay to fit into the government's agenda on Arctic sovereignty, according to the Citizen.

Dunderdale would only say that her government has been consistently lobbying the government for more activity at the base. But she said there's not much the province can do, except talk.

"We just have to strongly advocate and make the case of why it's important that this work be done, and encourage the prime minister to live up to his commitments," she said.

There hasn't been much activity at the base in recent years, despite an election promise from then-opposition leader Harper during the 2006 federal election campaign to station 650 troops at the base if elected.

 

[Good2Golf]

So one would put 1% of the entire CF in Goose bay to do what?

Mme Dunderhill, what say you? (In an active, dialogue sense, vice passively waiting to be told what could be done...

 

[dapaterson]

So one would put 1% of the entire CF in Goose bay to do what?

Mme Dunderhill, what say you? (In an active, dialogue sense, vice passively waiting to be told what could be done...

To be fair, the Reg F is at ~68K, so the proposed 650 person unit in Goose Bay would be less than 1% of the Regular Force.

In terms of what they do: We could relocate the Auroras from Greenwood to Goose Bay.  Robbing Peter to pay Dunderdale.

 

[The Bread Guy]

As Paul Harvey used to say, "Stand by for news...." - this media advisory from the PMO's Info-machine:

.... Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

2:00 p.m. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make an announcement.  He will be joined by Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, Peter Penashue, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, with Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Darrell Dexter, Premier of Nova Scotia.

5 Wing Goose Bay
Canuck Club
International Room
Building 310, Canuck Road
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL

*Open to media ....

 

[PPCLI Guy]

In terms of what they do: We could relocate the Auroras from Greenwood to Goose Bay.  Robbing Peter to pay Dunderdale.

Very Machiavellian....and hence quite likely.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bumped with the latest via CBC.ca ....

The company that provides site services at 5 Wing Goose Bay has had its contract extended.

Serco, which provides everything from meals to firefighting on the base, has an 11-year contract with the federal government which was set to expire in March 2014.

But last week, employees received a memo indicating the new expiry date had been pushed back to March 2016.

Bernie Bolger, president of the National Defence Employees Union, Local 90215, accuses government of playing politics.

"We've been made promises, and we haven't seen too many promises come through yet ... so that's the way I look at it — it's politics — politicians making the decisions," said Bolger.

"So I don't know what's going on, it's beyond me the reason [why] this RFP is not ready."

Bolger believes the contract was extended because government wasn't ready to request new proposals ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bumped with the latest via CBC.ca ....

The company that provides site services at 5 Wing Goose Bay has had its contract extended.

Serco, which provides everything from meals to firefighting on the base, has an 11-year contract with the federal government which was set to expire in March 2014.

But last week, employees received a memo indicating the new expiry date had been pushed back to March 2016 ....

More from the union ....

Impending cuts to the 5 Wing Goose Bay weather station will negatively impact Ground Search and Rescue in Labrador and could cost lives.

That’s according to Bernie Bolger, president of Local 90125.

The news comes of the job cuts comes just days after Serco and DND signed a two-year extension to the current service contract.

“The union was informed there would be a reduction in the new two-year extension contract,” said Bolger

Bolger said the Base service provider, Serco, was informed yesterday that four of six jobs will be chopped at the weather office at 5 Wing.

“From what we understand, the weather office will be scaled back to two employees, with a Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. schedule,” said Bolger, this afternoon, just minutes before heading into a meeting with town officials to discuss the matter.

“This will have a negative impact on Ground Search and Rescue (GSR), the community and Labrador as a whole.” ....

The Labradorian, 21 Aug 13

More of the same from CBC.ca

 

[The Bread Guy]

Politicians, UP!

The MP for Labrador has several meetings over the next couple of days on reductions at the weather office in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and the future of 5-Wing.

Yvonne Jones says Serco's manual weather operations will be replaced by an automated system, resulting in a number of cuts to personnel manning the station. Jones told VOCM Open Line with Bill Rowe that changes to the system will have a significant impact on the region - many fear it's just the first step in what will be the eventual demise of the base ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Plans to axe four of six positions at the 5 Wing weather office has been axed itself.

Bernie Bolger, president of PSAC Local 90125, said he was contacted by officials at Serco — the Base service provider —at approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning that the 5 Wing weather office would not lose any positions, as was reported earlier this week.

“There will be no reductions in staff, and the weather office will remain operational 24-7,” said Bolger.

“I feel good, the workers feel good — which is the main reason we took this on, for the workers.” ....

The Labradorian, 23 Aug 13

 

[The Bread Guy]

Two more years of Serco keeping the place running (at least) until March 2016:

Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology, and management services, announced today that the Company has been awarded a two-year contract extension by Public Works and Government Services Canada to provide site support services at the 5 Wing Canadian Forces Base in Goose Bay, Canada. This new contract extends the current 11-year agreement through March 2016. The extension is valued at just under $100 million over a two-year period.

Under the extension, Serco will continue to perform the majority of the non-military operation and maintenance functions at this base, which is located in Central Labrador. The base is comprised of two 10,000 foot runways, over 200 buildings totaling almost 275,000 sq. meters, and extensive civil infrastructure. The base has a training area that covers 130,000 sq. km.

The services provided by Serco include: Aviation Services, including Air Traffic Control and Navaids; Logistics Services, including Warehouse Operations, Snow and Ice Removal, Environmental Protection, Hazardous Waste Management and Material Control; and Facilities Management Services, including Engineering, Telecomm/IT, Electrical and Airfield Distribution Systems, Water Treatment, Central Heating Plant Operations, Grounds Maintenance, Security, Food Services and Janitorial Services ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Two more years of Serco keeping the place running (at least) until March 2016:

.... but not necessarily with the same number of staff:

25 employees at 5-Wing Goose Bay have been given pink slips. The layoffs at Serco come on the heels of a new two year agreement with the Department of National Defence. Serco provides all non-military services on the base, things like fire fighting services, weather forecasting, and site maintenance.

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones calls Serco a major area employer. While she says she is pleased to see a contract extension, she was hoping for something more long term given the previous five-plus year contracts.

Meanwhile, The mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay says he was blind-sided by layoffs at 5 Wing Goose Bay. 25 civilian positions have been cut by SERCO, the company responsible for maintaining the base ....

More from CBC.ca:

The union which represents civilian workers at 5 Wing Goose Bay says cuts to jobs and services this week do not bode well for the future of the base.

"The worst-case scenario is that Goose Bay could be reduced down to a commercial airport, and no military presence at all," said John MacLennan, president of the Union of National Defence Employees.

Serco, the company that provides services for 5 Wing, eliminated 25 positions at the base this week.

(....)

For its part, DND says the layoffs are linked to a review and update of what it needs to operate the base. For example, DND no longer requires extra personnel associated with low-level flight training, since that no longer occurs at the base.

Federal ministers have repeatedly insisted Ottawa is committed to maintaining operations at 5 Wing Goose Bay.

But MacLennan says the reduction in services and associated job losses this week fly in the face of that.

"Is it going to be a slow death that they're providing, by slowly getting rid of certain types of work and services that are being provided on the base? We want to know what we're dealing with," he said ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

The latest (but no sign of sharing the briefing note just yet) from CBC.ca - highlights mine:

Department of National Defence briefing papers reveal a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity last year to find a new purpose for CFB 5 Wing Goose Bay, even while the facility was identified as the lowest-priority base in the country from a military operational perspective.

The loss of 25 jobs at the base last week has again stoked fears about Ottawa's long-term plans for 5 Wing.
CBC Investigates logo CBC

The DND briefing papers — obtained through access-to-information, and covering the first six months of 2013 — appear to offer conflicting messages over the future of the base.

Two top officials — Gen. Tom Lawson, the chief of the defence staff, and Robert Fonberg, the deputy minister of National Defence — signed off on a briefing note and presentation prepared for the associate minister in January 2013.

“This brief will confirm that the [Canadian Armed Forces] and DND are committed to ensuring an enduring presence in Goose Bay,” they wrote.

But a briefing note sent two months later, in March 2013, painted a less optimistic picture, highlighting a number of “challenges” with 5 Wing.

“You should be aware that DND/CAF has identified Goose Bay as the lowest priority base from a military operational perspective,” the briefing note advised.

The document, provided to then-associate minister of National Defence Kerry-Lynne Findlay, outlined a number of issues:

    the cost to support personnel in Goose Bay is more than five times the average for other Canadian locations — $129,500, compared to $24,000.
    the difficulty of staffing positions in the area because “there are few opportunities for spousal employment.”
    while 85 per cent of DND’s Goose Bay resources are devoted to maintaining and operating the airfield, only five per cent of the flights at the airport are military.

“In the current context … it is increasingly difficult to justify current expenditure levels as they draw resources from higher priority operational activities,” the document notes ....

 

[Sub_Guy]

I really don't see a need to keep that base open and I am willing to bet the majority of Canadians will agree. 

One could argue that we could place a LRP det there, but that would cost $$$$ and we have none!

 

[Ostrozac]

I really don't see a need to keep that base open and I am willing to bet the majority of Canadians will agree. 

One could argue that we could place a LRP det there, but that would cost $$$$ and we have none!

As I understand it, one of the key issues with putting more capabilities into Goose Bay is that, because it's an isolated posting with a three-year tour length, if you greatly increase the number of people there then the career managers will end up spending all their money posting people in and out of Goose Bay. Money, as you pointed out, we don't have.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Still, two pretty-high-up bosses say "we're good to keep it open"* ....

.... Two top officials — Gen. Tom Lawson, the chief of the defence staff, and Robert Fonberg, the deputy minister of National Defence — signed off on a briefing note and presentation prepared for the associate minister in January 2013.

“This brief will confirm that the [Canadian Armed Forces] and DND are committed to ensuring an enduring presence in Goose Bay,” they wrote ....

Standby all hands to cope ....

* - subject to 1)  the accuracy of the quote, and 2) what the rest of the briefing note, which hasn't been shared yet, may or may not have said to provide context.