Winnipeg Free Press
Friday May 21 2004
THE federal government is committing $3.5 billion over the next 10 years to clean up almost 60 "high-risk" former military sites in Canada.
The money will be used to clean up military debris, unexploded ordnance, abandoned fuel tanks and other environmental hazards at military sites.
None of the affected locations is in Manitoba, said Lewis Cocks, senior environmental officer for the Canadian air force, but nine sites in and around Winnipeg are being monitored for possible environmental issues, including Kapyong Barracks, set to be abandoned by the army this summer.
The Second Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is relocating to Canadian Forces Base Shilo near Brandon. The base will eventually be sold.
Cocks said there have been minor fuel spills at Kapyong, but nothing that requires immediate remedial action.
The problem will probably be dealt with once, or if, someone decides to redevelop the property, he said. Other sites being monitored include the St. Charles rifle range, which the military uses for rifle practice. The spent shells are cleaned up from time to time, and the ground is monitored on a regular basis, Cocks said.
Manitoba has several long-abandoned military bases at places like Gimli and Beausejour, but Cocks was unsure of the status of those locations, many of which have faded into history.