OTTAWA –The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veteran's Affairs and MP for Jonquière-Alma, made the following statement on Canadian Forces Base Bagotville:
"The Government of Canada has made a promise to CFB Bagotville and the government will follow through on that promise. The establishment of 2 Air Expeditionary Wing in Bagotville remains a priority for the Government of Canada. The Air Expeditionary Wing will offer a deployable and comprehensive air package that will host and support our air combat elements. As a result, the Expeditionary Wing will significantly enhance the Canadian Forces' ability to:
- contribute to the activities of any future coalition military operations and,
- provide air expeditionary elements to a domestic or international operation.
The Air Expeditionary Wing will further give Canadian Forces commanders the ability to direct a rapid and decisive response to any domestic or international contingency, ranging from a large-scale humanitarian response to complex coalition operations and will make a significant contribution to Canada's capacity to provide excellence at home and abroad. The timeframe for the full manning and equipping continues to evolve as the Canadian Forces meet the extremely high demands they face, including those associated with operations in Afghanistan and other domestic and international operations.
3 Wing Bagotville is a vital component of the Air Force and the Canadian Forces, which is demonstrated by recent commitments made to the base, including a $17 million contract for runway resurfacing in 2009-2010. The government looks forward to a bright and vibrant future of CFB Bagotville."
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