Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin. I'm the MLA for Cumberland North in Nova Scotia. I'm here to speak about the future of the Colonel James Layton Ralston Armoury in Amherst and M-16, a motion introduced by our local MP.
The motion recognizes the growth in Canada's military and asks her government to examine surplus federal properties for use in veteran services. Her government closed our armoury after 101 years of training soldiers. Her response was to propose another study.
Mr. Chair, I want to be clear that I support providing housing and services for our veterans, but I ask this committee to first consider a fundamental question: Before we dispose of a historic military facility, shouldn't we first determine whether Canada still needs it for military training?
Built in 1915, our armoury connects Amherst to the 85th Battalion at Vimy Ridge and the proud history of our North Nova Scotia Highlanders. The “North Novies” landed in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and fought through northwestern Europe. Some never came home. Their motto was “No Retreating Footsteps”.
The regimental museum that was housed in our armoury preserved that history. For generations, reservists and thousands of young cadets have trained in that facility, but in 2016, DND ended reserve use of the Amherst armoury. One year later, Second World War veteran Russell Clarke wrote to the Minister of National Defence about the armoury. The response informed him that DND intended to dispose of the building. This was the first time that our community learned of the plan.
Veterans, cadets and their leaders contacted me and wanted a public meeting. At the packed-house meeting, the public made it clear: They wanted our armoury preserved for military training.
For nine years, we have repeatedly asked for the decision to be reversed. During the pandemic in 2020, DND unexpectedly closed our armoury over “safety concerns”. I organized another public meeting. Our MP at that time, Lenore Zann, joined our meeting and stated that she had talked to the Prime Minister and had explained the importance of the building. Within days, the armoury was reopened. They started the needed repairs, allowing the museum and cadet training to continue.
Local veteran George Manthorne submitted an access-to-information request in 2021 to obtain the documents that led to the decision of the closure, and as of today, he has still not received any of those requested documents.
Then last year, in July 2025, the building was again shuttered with no notice. The regimental museum was closed, and the cadets lost their training facility and were locked out of the building. Our local military community was devastated again.
I want to be perfectly clear: I support safe, dignified housing for our veterans. A local organization has proposed converting our armoury into veterans housing, at a reported cost of $20 million. However, DND owns land just outside of Amherst. The property is 222 acres. I ask the committee to consider whether that land could accommodate purpose-designed veterans housing. We can provide homes for those who have served without sacrificing our armoury, which could train those who want to serve now and in the future.
At this point, I'd like to also draw a parallel. The federal government has also announced plans to close the Nappan Experimental Farm, which has conducted agriculture research in our region for 139 years. In May, I met with federal agricultural department manager Geoffrey Mercer. He told me that he had not only advised that Nappan be closed but that he used to work for DND and that it was he who had advised that the Amherst armoury be divested.
I don't know who ultimately made those decisions or what information informed them, but I do believe that our community deserves to understand why it is facing the loss of the important functions of two long-standing federal institutions through the actions of this government. Does this government not value the people of rural Canada and their expertise in food security and military contributions to this country?
This government is making moves that will weaken our country rather than strengthen it. Why are we losing military training and agriculture research when Canada needs stronger defence capacity, food security and domestic research?
Canada's military recruitment challenges were noted by our Auditor General, who found that the Canadian Armed Forces had not recruited enough members to meet its strategic planned intake targets and that it needed to invest in training infrastructure to accommodate more recruits. Why, then, is DND preparing to dispose of historic military training facilities like the Amherst armoury when Canada should be expanding recruitment and training capacity? It does not make any sense.
I'm asking DND and this government to look to our community as part of the solution. We have people who want to serve our country. We have a proud and significant military history with the North Novies, and we want to contribute to Canada's military future. The North Nova Scotia Highlanders lived by the motto of “No Retreating Footsteps”. Our community has not retreated from its commitment to Canada. As Canada strengthens its armed forces, we ask DND not to retreat from Amherst but to recognize our willingness to serve and to give our community a place in Canada's military future.
I'm asking this committee to recommend two things: first, that alternative federal properties be assessed for veterans housing; and, second, that this government restore reservist training to the Amherst armoury.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.