Executive Council
June 18, 2008
Minister
Hedderson Tours 9 Wing Gander
The Honourable Tom
Hedderson, Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, toured the base at 9
Wing Gander today as part of his commitment to visit the three active
military facilities in the province.
Minister Hedderson
met with Lieutenant-Colonel Tammy Harris, who was appointed Wing
Commander of 9 Wing Gander in June 2007. The meeting provided the
minister with the opportunity to see the facility and get an up front
look at the base operations. It also provided the representatives from
9 Wing an opportunity to discuss the base�s current and future
activities.
�It has been quite a
privilege to visit the installations in the province and this tour of 9
Wing Gander has given me a greater sense of what the base means to the
province and the town of Gander,� said Minister Hedderson. �Being the
provincial minister responsible for defence issues, I have made it a
priority to ensure federal commitments to enhance defence presence in
the province are fulfilled and all facilities are operating to their
full capacities.�
9 Wing Gander is the
third military facility Minister Hedderson has visited in the last six
months. In December 2007, the minister visited 5 Wing Goose Bay and met
with Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Bowerman. In March he met with Commander
Robert J. Clark and toured CFS St. John�s. There have been commitments
made by the Federal Government to increase personnel and military
presence at 5 Wing and CFS St. John�s but these commitments have yet to
be met. Minister Hedderson has written the Minister of National Defence,
Peter MacKay, to request a meeting to discuss these commitments.
Minister Hedderson
continues to bring forward to the Federal Government the province�s
position that these military facilities should be fully utilized.
Having the opportunity to speak with representatives of all three
installations has given the minister an understanding of current and
planned operations. It also aids him as he works with the Government of
Canada to ensure military diversification and sustainable long-term
operation of the installations within the province. These facilities
have valuable infrastructure and maximizing the use of these sites by
the Canadian Forces is a provincial priority.
�Visiting all three
facilities has provided great insight into the workings of Canadian
Forces installations in the province and the valuable contribution they
make to Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Canadian Forces as a whole,�
said Minister Hedderson. �Having seen the facilities today and heard
about the operations at 9 Wing, I have great confidence that the base
will continue to play a significant role into the future.�
9 Wing Gander
employs 135 regular force personnel, 90 reservists and 35 civilians,
numbers which have been maintained since 2001. The base provides
full-time search and rescue capabilities to the Newfoundland and
Labrador region as well as providing a comprehensive Canadian Coast
Guard radar facility. A number of infrastructure upgrades have been
identified by 9 Wing Gander as priorities, such as a new headquarters
building and a hangar to house 103 Squadron. The province will take
every opportunity to impress upon the Government of Canada the
importance of ensuring adequate infrastructure and staffing at military
installations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Media contact:
Lesley Clarke
Communications
Specialist
Intergovernmental
Affairs
709-729-6026,
699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca
2008
06 18 3:40 p.m.
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