Grants and Contributions

Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP): Federal contaminated sites are sites located on land owned or leased by the federal government, or on land where the federal government has accepted responsibility for the contamination.

Funding Request:

• In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $66.6 million in incremental funding for the National Defence Contaminated Sites Program, to reduce legacy contamination by remediating sites.

How Funding Will Be Spent:

• In 2024/2025, focus is on six ongoing high priority remediation projects:
  • Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project (British Columbia);
  • The Firefighting Training Area, 3 Wing Bagotville (Quebec);
  • Stony Point (Former Camp Ipperwash) (Ontario);
  • 22 Wing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Monitoring (Ontario);
  • New Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron (ATESS) Refinishing Shop (Ontario); and
  • Trichloroethylene (TCE) Contamination, CFB Valcartier (Quebec).
• These projects are associated with high priority contaminated sites for which legal, environmental and/or health risks have been identified.
• More broadly, remediation activities will be carried out at 155 sites.

Objectives:

• Through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), National Defence is investing resources to clean up historical contamination and minimize future environmental impact from military activities.
• This funding will also support the ongoing efforts to reduce environmental and human health risks and associated federal financial liabilities.

Current State of Remediation Efforts:

• National Defence has 1,974 sites reported in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory, 1,117 of which require no further action and are closed.
• Of the 857 open sites, 129 require additional assessment activities to confirm the presence and/or extent of contamination and 728 require additional remediation or risk management before they can be closed.
• 113 of the sites that require additional remediation or risk management are a high priority for action.

Upcoming Milestones:

• Budget 2024 included funding for Phase V (2025-2029) of the FCSAP.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada is drafting the Phase V Treasury Board Submission with input and support from partners, including National Defence.

Key Statistics:

• Established in 2005 as a 15-year program with $4.54 billion in funding, the FCSAP was renewed in 2019 for another 15 years (2020 to 2034) with $1.16 billion for the first five years (Phase IV from 2020 to 2024), including:
  • $1.05 billion to remediate 1,316 contaminated sites;
  • $24.3 million to assess 242 sites; and
  • $83.4 million to manage this program.

• PFAS at CFB Bagotville are suspected to be related to the past use of firefighting foam for training and operations, as well as fire suppression foam releases. These activities were conducted according to the accepted practices and regulations at the time.
• PFAS have been found in surface water, sediment, soil, and groundwater.
• In November 2023, National Defence announced that the Government of Canada is committing to provide up to $15.5 million in funding to the City of Saguenay for a short-term solution to address the presence of PFAS in the municipal water supply, in response to a request from the City of Saguenay.

Funding Request:

• In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $7 million to support the contribution agreement with the City of Saguenay in 2024/2025, for the installation and operation of temporary treatment units at La Baie’s drinking water production facilities.

How Funding Will Be Spent:

• The funding will be used for the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of temporary treatment units.
• Further, the funding will be used to connect residences with private wells that were affected by the contamination to the municipal network.

Objectives:

• The funding for temporary treatment units will reduce the concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in La Baie’s municipal drinking water.

Current State of Water Treatment / Rehabilitation

• All three filtration units are installed and operational since February 2024. They are operating at 99% efficiency.

Upcoming Milestones:

• The City is preparing a tender to connect private wells to the municipal network but has yet to announce when it will be released.

Key Statistics:

• The total cost of the temporary treatment over five years is estimated to be $17.2M [to be completed in FY 2027/2028]. The federal share will be $15.5M, and the Ville de Saguenay will contribute $1.7M.
• The City anticipates a need to operate the temporary treatment units over five years until it completes the relocation of their municipal supply wells.
• National Defence has invested about $11.6 million in poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) monitoring and remediation activities at CFB Bagotville since 2016.

• On June 23, 2021, National Defence finalized a $20-million contribution agreement with the City of North Bay, which will see the federal government fund the majority of the PFAS remediation work at the Jack Garland Airport over a 6-year term.
  • National Defence will fund 97% (or $19.4 million) of the $20-million agreement and the remaining 3% (or $600,000) will be funded by the City of North Bay.
• PFAS are a group of over 4,700 human-made substances that are used in a wide range of products, such as firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, and textiles.
• The Province of Ontario and the City of North Bay regulate municipal water and are responsible for setting PFAS guidelines for drinking water in the region.

Funding Request:

• In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $16.1 million to support the remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at the North Bay airport.

How Funding Will Be Spent:

• This funding will be transferred to the city of North Bay for the removal and treatment of contaminated soil, as well as for the treatment of groundwater and surface water before downstream migration.
• The funding was authorized under the Policy Framework for Shared-Responsibility Contaminated Sites.

Objectives:

• These remediation efforts are expected to bring PFAS contamination on the North Bay airport lands to acceptable levels, in accordance with Ontario regulations.

Upcoming Milestones:

• National Defence and the City of North Bay will co-host a public information session on June 20, 2024, to share the latest project information and provide updates on our joint efforts to address the presence of PFAS in North Bay.

• In May 2022, Treasury Board approved a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada, represented by National Defence and the Government of Quebec under the Policy Framework for Shared-Responsibility Contaminated Sites.
• The total value of the contribution agreement is $48.2M over 7 years from FY 2023-2024 to 2029-2030. There have been no expenditures to date, as remediation of the 34 former radar sites has yet to begin.
  • While funding for this remediation was first requested in Main Estimates 2023-24, the Province of Quebec elected to delay the beginning of remediation work to incorporate lessons learned for ongoing remediation projects at other sites (which are outside the Policy Framework).
• The Province of Quebec will begin planning work in 2024-2025.
• The expected result is that contamination at 34 former radar sites will be remediated to acceptable levels in accordance with Quebec regulations.

Funding Request:

• In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $6.8 million to support the contribution agreement with the Province of Quebec for the remediation of former Mid Canada Line radar sites in Quebec – in the areas of Knob Lake and Great Whale River.

How Funding Will Be Spent:

• This funding will be transferred to the Province of Quebec for risk management and remediation activities, including the proper disposal of hazardous materials and the removal and treatment of contaminated soils.
• The funding was authorized under the Policy Framework for Shared-Responsibility Contaminated Sites.

Objectives:

• The expected result is that contamination at 34 former radar sites will be remediated to acceptable levels in accordance with Quebec regulations.

Upcoming Milestones:

• While funding for this remediation was first requested in Main Estimates 2023-24, the Province of Quebec elected to delay the beginning of remediation work to incorporate lessons learned for ongoing remediation projects at other sites (which are outside the Policy Framework).
• The Province of Quebec will begin planning work in 2024-2025.

• The IDEaS program will be investing $1.6 billion in innovations for defence and security over the next 20 years to improve DND’s access to the creative potential of Canadian innovators. We use your knowledge and concepts to enhance defence capability, create an economic impact, and ultimately, to build an innovation ecosystem for national defence.

Funding Request

• In these Estimates, National Defence is requesting $27 million for the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) grant and contribution program.

How Funding Will Be Spent:

• This funding will support the advancement of new challenges, including for counter drone technology as well as operational de-mining in support of Ukraine.
• Funding will also support the continuance of previously signed contribution agreements that support research and development in a variety of domains such as quantum, 5G, munitions and robotics.

Objectives:

• The IDEaS program supports the Defence mission by stimulating innovation and bringing solutions to enhance defence capabilities through grants and contributions to industry.

Key Milestones and Statistics:

• The Program was announced as part of Strong, Secure, Engaged, and commits $1.6 billion to advancing innovations for defence and security over a 20-year period.
• Since April 2018: IDEaS has launched 77 challenges which have resulted in over 730 contracts being awarded in the amount $384.2 million.
  • For example, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, National Defence solicited proposals to address challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. A resulting IDEaS funded project – GermStopSQ – was recently approved by Health Canada for commercial uses. It is one of the first surface disinfectants to provide extended sanitization, including continuous disinfection for a full 24 hours after application.
• Following long-term innovation investment, the Program has awarded several contracts to innovators to acquire pre-commercial solutions for testing by DND/CAF including cyber technology and greening solutions.
• Grant and contribution funding has also resulted in significant solution advancement, including relocatable temporary camps that integrate water, waste and energy management solutions for deployed troops.

• MINDS is founded on the idea that policy- and decision-making are strengthened when assumptions are challenged and diverse viewpoints are considered. MINDS provides opportunities for collaboration between the Defence Team and the defence and security expert community through a program that:
  • responds to the needs for relevant and timely advice from defence and security experts;
  • fosters the next generation of experts and scholars; and,
  • contributes to Canadians’ understanding of defence and security issues.

Funding Request:

• In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $5.1 million in grants and contributions (Vote 10) for the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security Program (MINDS) to continue fostering collaboration between the Defence Team and the defence and security expert community.

How this funding will be spent:

• Funding will be spent to strengthen and diversify research on defence and security issues in Canada through MINDS’ key areas of activity.
• These include non-recurring funding for approximately sixty projects and nine collaborative networks to carry out a range of activities (ex. conferences, workshops, research studies) on topics such as culture change, emerging technology, and the Defence Industrial Base.

Objectives:

• The MINDS program has three main objectives:
  • Respond to DND/CAF needs for relevant and timely advice from defence and security experts;
  • Foster the next generation of defence and security experts and scholars;
  • Contribute to Canadians’ understanding of defence and security issues.

Next Steps:

• Funding applications are received on average four times a year via a competitive call for proposals. They are assessed through a rigorous evaluation process and endorsed by the DG-level MINDS Steering Committee.
• The MINDS competitive call for proposals closed on 3 April 2024, and evaluations are underway.   
• Key areas of research include culture change, recruitment and retention, procurement, continental defence, emerging technologies, great power competition, climate change and defence in the Arctic.

Key Statistics and Milestones:

• Since its launch in spring 2019, MINDS has supported the Defence Team by:
  • Funding over 300 research projects and events on some of the most pressing policy issues facing the Defence Team.
  • Engaging over 100 high-caliber Canadian and international experts to brief the Defence Team on key and emerging issues, such as Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, the rapid evolution of emerging technology, CAF reconstitution efforts, transforming military culture, and enhancing continental defence.
  • Establishing three-year, mutually supportive relationships with a total of fifteen multidisciplinary networks (three each year) of experts on issues ranging from Emerging Technologies, North American and Arctic defence and security to addressing sexual misconduct and culture change in the Canadian Armed Forces. 
  • Helping over 100 emerging scholars from across Canada pursue their studies in the field of defence and security through the awarding of scholarships, including for Indigenous students.
• Delivering five NATO Defence College Fellowships, as part of Canada’s ongoing support to the Alliance.