Backgrounders

Background:

The purpose of this backgrounder is to provide information about the history of Shearwater since the 1990s, as well as provide details about the way ahead for the Maritime Helicopter (MH) Wing. 

Realty Development Timeline:

Prior to 1994, the Department of National Defence (DND) operated two bases within the Halifax-Dartmouth area: Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax and CFB Shearwater.  While both bases supported numerous lodger units, the primary role of CFB Halifax (located mainly on the west side of the harbour) was to support the Atlantic Fleet, and the primary role of CFB Shearwater (located on the east side of the harbour) was to support fixed and rotary wing air operations.

On 22 February 1994, as part of the Defence Expenditure Reductions 1994, the Minister of National Defence (MND) announced plans to reduce DND costs by consolidating base infrastructure.  CFB Shearwater was reduced to a lodger unit of CFB Halifax, and was reduced from a military aerodrome to a military heliport. Fixed-wing operations (CC-144 Challenger and CT-33 Silver Star combat support aircraft) were transferred to 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia, in 1995.  Rotary wing operations (CH-124 Sea Kings) remained at Shearwater, including an operational Maritime Helicopter Squadron (423 (MH) Squadron), a Maritime Operational Training Squadron (406 (M) OTS), the Helicopter Operations Test and Evaluation Facility (HOTEF), and an Air Maintenance Squadron (12 AMS).  Other resident naval and support units, such as the Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic), and all 300 Married Quarters remained at Shearwater.  DND declared as surplus 384 of 650 hectares of land, 14 of 199 buildings, and runway 16/34. 

On 1 September 1995, Shearwater officially became a heliport.  To support its operational requirements, DND retained 266 hectares of land, 185 buildings, runway 10/28, operations facilities, and waterfront property (including Jetty NA, the adjacent water lots, Fleet Diving Unit buildings and hangars, and Sea Cadet training facilities).  These retained realty assets are essential to supporting military operations, and include jetty NA for naval operations and for embarking/disembarking helicopters on warships during periods of inclement weather or due to aircraft unserviceabilities. 

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) established a Local Development Agency called the Shearwater Development Corporation (SDC) in 1995.  SDC was provided with an opportunity to purchase the surplus property at its appraised market value.  Unable to raise the funds to purchase the property, SDC became insolvent in 1998. DND assumed SDC's subleases, thereby enabling the Shearwater Flying School, the Shearwater International Air Show and other tenants to continue using runway 16/34 until the property was sold.

Negotiations for the disposal of the surplus lands spanned several years.  During the 1998-2000 time frame, DND received a series of proposals from the Province and the Port Authority to acquire the surplus land at Shearwater.  Negotiations were complicated by the fact that DND's Shearwater waterfront realty assets had to be retained to support military operational requirements; and eventually failed when the parties were unable to come to a satisfactory agreement.  In March 2002, the Department sold the surplus Shearwater realty assets to the Canada Lands Company (CLC) for $1.5M.  In April 2002, the MND confirmed that the maritime helicopter fleet would remain in Shearwater, Nova Scotia, with one operational squadron based in Patricia Bay (at the Victoria International Airport) in British Columbia.

In order to complete the 1994 government direction to convert the Shearwater aerodrome to a heliport, and to prepare for the introduction of the CH-124's replacement, the definition of operational requirements to finalize the conversion and modernization of the heliport began in December 2003.  In the course of this planning, it was determined that some of the surplus land previously sold to CLC would have to be reacquired.  The contract to purchase 28 CH-148s was signed in November 2004, with the first helicopter scheduled for delivery in November 2008 and a delivery rate of one helicopter per month thereafter for a total of 28 helicopters. 

Approval for the Shearwater Heliport Conversion Project was granted by the MND in June 2005, and in November 2005, a Letter of Intent was signed with CLC as a precursor to a formal agreement for the necessary exchange of lands.  Completion of the land exchange was approved in May 2006, and in July 2006, the land exchange transaction was completed with CLC at market value.  DND received three parcels of land totaling 154.83 hectares in exchange for one parcel of 34.35 hectares, allowing for a reorientation of helicopter operations from the previous untenable east-west (runway 10/28) posture to a north-south posture based on a new, shorter helicopter landing area.

The conversion of the Shearwater airfield to a heliport facility will include the replacement of the existing fixed-wing air zoning regulations with those required to support helicopter operations.  The project involves: the conversion of an existing taxiway to a helicopter landing area; the conversion of part of an existing runway to a taxiway; the installation of approach lighting; the construction of various helicopter training areas; and the relocation of various navigational aids.

Transition to the New Maritime Helicopter Fleet:

In anticipation of the CH-148's arrival, a significant number of infrastructure improvements and additions are being implemented. 

The following construction projects are currently being implemented at Shearwater:

• Maritime Helicopter Training Centre - this state-of-the-art training facility is being constructed by the Maritime Helicopter Project contractor, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. The new $45 million training facility is part of the $3.2 billion contract awarded to Sikorsky for 20 years of in-service support to the CH-148 helicopter. The facility will house flight simulators and other training devices. Sikorsky has been awarded a second, $1.8 billion contract, for 28 fully-integrated, certified and qualified helicopters with installed missions systems.
  
• Shearwater Hangar-Line Code Compliant Fire Protection Capability -this project involves the construction of a water reservoir and the replacement of water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines servicing the aircraft hangar line. This work is needed to provide the requisite fire suppression services to new hangars that will house the new maritime helicopter fleet.

Additionally, the following construction projects are planned for the near future:

• 12 Air Maintenance Squadron Facility - a new, second-line maintenance facility for the Cyclone helicopter fleet will be constructed.
  
• 423 Maritime Helicopter Facility - a squadron operations hangar for the CH-148 helicopter fleet will be built.
  
• 12 Wing Common Support Facility  - a support facility accommodating the Maritime Helicopter Project contractor's field office and warehouse operation, as well as 12 Wing operations and planning staff, and the Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility (HOTEF) will be constructed.
  
• Shearwater Central Heating Plant Upgrade - this project involves the upgrading of the central heating plant.
  
• Wing Telecommunications and Information Services Upgrade - this project involves the upgrading of the telecommunications plant.