Thank you.
Thanks for the opportunity to speak about the use of underused and surplus federal buildings to help better serve our Canadian veterans.
Using vacant public buildings for affordable housing or building a community hub that could support veterans and families offers a unique economic and social advantage over traditional building from the ground up. A charity of any kind would find it difficult to purchase land due to the astronomical costs, and having a building reduces project timelines and creates a community.
Maintaining empty properties is a continuous strain on taxpayer dollars. If the buildings were to be transferred to not-for-profits, that would decrease costs for security, basic utilities and upkeep. Structurally sound buildings already possess the fundamental and foundational frameworks that are required for construction. Retrofitting can shave months or even years off the time it takes to get families into homes, compared to building from scratch.
Many government facilities are in central prime urban areas close to public transit, employment hubs, grocery stores and health care. Converting these structures would directly integrate low-income residents into a well-connected neighbourhood.
While the potential is vast, converting old buildings into viable, usable spaces is not without its challenges. Many public facilities are strictly zoned for institutional or commercial use, and this could present a significant roadblock. Even without land acquisition fees, retrofitting historic or neglected buildings requires significant upfront capital costs. Sustained funding programs such as low-cost construction loans, grants and assistance from all levels of government are critical to bringing these buildings to life.
Every empty government building represents a missed opportunity to offer someone a safe place to sleep and live. By shifting our perspective and viewing these vacant structures not as liabilities but as a foundation for the future of community infrastructure, we can create a community and fulfill the needs of our veteran community.
I would like to focus specifically on Calgary and a property with a very special connection to our military community. The former Canadian Forces Base Calgary, particularly Currie Barracks CFB, was not simply a collection of federal buildings. For more than six decades, it was part of the military and social fabric of our city. Thousands of Canadian soldiers trained and served there. Families lived there, and people deployed from there, returned home from there, retired from there and then built their homes in Calgary. These are not simply old buildings. They are part of our history.
Several historically significant military buildings remain at Currie Barracks. Rather than looking at these properties for only their commercial or redevelopment value, I believe we should ask what value they could provide for our veteran community with respect to affordable housing. Not only could this space provide affordable housing, but it also would serve as a community hub for many veterans and their families.
The Veterans Association Food Bank could use such a facility for food security and emergency assistance, but the potential goes much further. The Veterans Association provides many services for our veteran community such as the food bank, emergency services, a pet promise program, peer support, training, employment opportunities, a thrift store that benefits all of our veterans and many other services.
Working collaboratively with other organizations, we could provide a space for peer support, mental health and wellness programs, family support, benefits navigation, employment and transition assistance, and education and training. Private rooms could be available for counsellors, psychologists and peer supporters, while meeting and classroom space could be shared with other veteran-serving organizations. Most importantly, it could become a place where veterans know they belong. Redirecting half a million dollars or more from the rent we currently pay each year could go to supporting veterans and their families and could have a massive life-changing impact.
There is something particularly meaningful about providing those services at former CFB Calgary. We often talk about preserving military heritage through plaques, monuments and museums. Those are important, but there is another way to preserve military heritage: Allow these buildings to continue serving the people they were originally built to serve. A building where soldiers once prepared for service could become a building where veterans now are supported after service, and the underused federal property could once again have a mission for the entire country.
I'm not suggesting that every former military building should become a veterans centre. I'm suggesting that before historically significant federal military properties are disposed of, we should ask whether they can continue serving Canadian military and veteran communities. Calgary would be an excellent place to demonstrate this approach.
I therefore encourage this committee to recommend that qualified veteran-serving organizations be given the opportunity to access suitable surplus or underused federal properties—particularly former military properties—before these properties are permanently disposed of.
CFB Calgary served Calgary for many generations. Perhaps part of it can now serve Canadian veterans for generations to come.