Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination
Canadian Forces Housing Agency Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan Apartments Project – Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt

February 4, 2025 — The Department of National Defence must decide whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this decision, the Department of National Defence is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by February 13, 2025 to:
Becky MacInnis, Environment Officer / MARPAC Formation Safety and Environment
Mailing Address:  Formation Safety and Environment, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, PO Box 17000 Stn Forces
Victoria, BC, Canada, V9A 7N2
E-mail:  Becky.MacInnis@forces.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Department of National Defence (DND) is proposing a project. The project will encompass the construction of 10 new 12-unit apartment buildings across four development sites at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Work Point and Naden properties, for a total of 120 residential housing units (RHUs). The distribution of the new units is as follows:

• WP1: four 12-plexes (48 RHUs)
• WP2: four 12-plexes (48 RHUs)
• WP3: one 12-plex (12 RHUs)
• Naden: one 12 plex (12 RHUs)

The new units will incorporate residential amenities including, but not limited to, electric heat, washrooms, kitchens, and internet and cable service. Project works will include foundation excavation and backfill, building construction and demolition, utilities installation, parking lots, sidewalks and landscaping. The total ground space of the buildings, parking lots, and landscaping is still to be determined. The footprint per building is estimated at 465m² to 535m².

Site preparation: A geotechnical investigation will provide information on geological and soil conditions, including the location and identification of buried services and utilities at each site. A topographical investigation will identify any relevant site features that may impact the design of the buildings, and will inform optimal building placement, grading requirements, and drainage solutions. A community garden, existing RHUs, sheds, and vegetation of primarily low grasses, ornamental shrubs and inter-dispersed trees will be vacated, removed and/or demolished prior to construction. Efforts will be made to retain as many trees as possible, with a survey performed to determine if there are any Garry Oaks or arbutus present within the proposed impact areas. Temporary barricades, impermeable surfaces, and sediment and erosion control structures will be implemented prior to construction.

Construction: Site construction activities include site grading/filling, demolition of existing buildings/sheds, excavations for the building foundation, pouring of concrete for infrastructure, installation of utilities, construction of the units, parking areas, and infrastructure associated with the units.

Site Restoration: This project component involves all site restoration activities, including removal of all waste, backfilling, re-grading of disturbed areas, pouring concrete for curbs and sidewalks, and finished landscaping including planting trees and shrubs, as well as reseeding/sodding.