NR 13.218 - July 5, 2013
KELOWNA, B.C. –Today, the Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Q.C., Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta – Richmond East, and the Honourable Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, announced a significant maintenance contract to support the CC-115 Buffalo and CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft fleets that will sustain 54 full time jobs in Kelowna, B.C.
“These fleets are key to our Royal Canadian Air Force and its ability to carry out important missions such as critical search and rescue,” said Minister Findlay. “This contract demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensuring our men and women in uniform continue to have well maintained equipment that is ready to support operations.”
Kelowna Flightcraft Limited has been awarded a $15 million contract to conduct third-level maintenance activities, which include: depot-level in-depth inspection and major repair of items, component repair and overhaul, technical investigations, modification designs, manufacture and assembly of prototypes, and engineering support.
“Kelowna Flightcraft has established itself as a highly respected Canadian company within the aviation industry and is a cornerstone of our local economy,” said Mr. Cannan. “Our community welcomes the federal government's support of Kelowna Flightcraft, which provides well-paying, highly skilled jobs in the Okanagan. Congratulations to the Flightcraft team and its employees for their outstanding work.”
Canada’s fleet of six CC-115 Buffalo airplanes is primarily used for search and rescue duties in Canada’s west, while our fleet of four CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft support operations in Canada’s north, including transport and search and rescue. This two-year contract that includes one optional one-year extension which if exercised could increase the value of the contract to $24.9 million, will ensure that airworthiness of the fleets is supported and maintained.
This contract builds on the numerous initiatives pertaining to Canada’s search and rescue system recently announced by the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. These include the first Quadrennial Search and Rescue Review, which brings together federal, provincial, and territorial partners, as well as private sector and thousands of dedicated volunteers, to ensure Canadians continue to have the most robust search and rescue system possible.
-30-
