New Alberta building housing Canadian Forces daycare shut down for years because of mould and other problems

June Winger, president of the Union for National Defence Employees, Winger said repairing the various problems with the building at Wainwright, Alta., would cost taxpayers more than $2 million. Photo by Union for National Defence Employees /HANDOUT

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A new building that houses daycare facilities for children of Canadian Forces personnel has been closed down twice because of mould and problems with fire-protection systems and other issues and is not expected to re-open until 2028.

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But the building was quickly shut down after black mould was found, and there were electrical issues affecting various equipment for operating heating and ventilation systems. Representatives of a union for employees at the base say there were also concerns about lead in the drinking water.

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The building, which houses the daycare, family-resource services and other support agencies for military families, is expected to re-open in the spring of 2028, according to Department of National Defence records obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

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DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku confirmed that the facility was originally closed to allow crews to complete repairs once the problems were detected. It reopened in late 2023.

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But then it had to close again in early 2024, when more problems were found. “During extreme cold in early 2024, additional vulnerabilities in the building and mechanical systems were detected, including damage to elements of the fire-protection system,” Sadiku stated.

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June Winger, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees, raised concerns about the ongoing problems with the community centre at a Senate defence committee meeting in April. She said the children of military personnel had been moved to a temporary building for the time-being.

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“This is a complete fiasco and a waste of tax dollars,” Winger told the Ottawa Citizen. “This is directly affecting military families.”

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Winger said repairing the various problems with the Wainwright building would cost taxpayers more than $2 million.

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But she is also concerned about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans to spend tens of billions of dollars more on new infrastructure. Winger warned there was a general lack of oversight of such construction projects. “Are we going to see a repeat of this mess?” she said.

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Winger pointed out that building the facility at CFB Wainwright originally cost $11.4 million, and the design contract was worth another $1.68 million. The overall project was worth $18.5 million, according to DND.

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Sadiku said the facility would re-open once fixes were finished and the commissioning and safety certifications were completed.

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“Construction is anticipated over Spring and Summer 2027 with a projected completion estimate of Spring 2028,” the DND documents noted.

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Sadiku said that architectural and building systems were being redesigned to allow better moisture control and air flow. “These adaptations will allow the facility to withstand extreme cold conditions and prevent the same issues from happening again,” he added.