Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan was at CFB Borden Tuesday for a dedication ceremony for the newly-constructed Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers School (RCEME).
The facility is named after the late Colonel Karen Ritchie, who was the first woman to serve as a RCEME Colonel. Colonel Ritchie was a former Commander of 5 Area Support Group in Quebec and Deputy Chair of the Committee on Women in the NATO Forces
“The legacy built by Colonel Ritchie during her time in the Canadian Armed Forces is a shining example for the women and men of the engineering trades,” said Sajjan. “This new training facility will further enable the RCEME School to provide a high standard of training for members of our CAF.”
The state-of-the-art training facility will provide RCEME students with essential training to maintain land-based military equipment in support of CAF operations.
“The RCEME School provides students with the skills and training needed to enhance military capability and readiness. The Colonel Karen Ritchie Building allows us to conduct this training in a modern environment, continuing to advance our Corps while preserving our history and traditions.”
The 14,000-m2 facility is built to accommodate modern military vehicles and specialized training equipment. It includes storage areas, administration and office spaces, classrooms, and six high-bay shop spaces for equipment maintenance training.
“As part of the ongoing modernization of Base Borden, the construction of this new facility provided a much needed upgrade to base infrastructure while generating economic investments in the local community,” said Colonel Andrew Atherton, Commander, Canadian Forces Base Borden. “Along with several other major infrastructure projects, this new building is moving Borden confidently into our second century of training and excellence.”
The building is cost $81.7 million and was completed in March 2017.
