In May 2007 , DCC awarded a $ 99-million contract for the construction of three inservice Maritime Helicopter support facilities at 12 Wing Shearwater in Nova Scotia . It was one of the largest contracts at that time . The project included renovating and upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the Canadian Forces ’ new CH-148 Cyclone helicopters .
Melinda Nycholat , Director , Contract Services , lends some perspective on the smooth sailing of this project :
The sign of true champions is the ability to turn a crisis situation into a success story . Such was the case for a difficult procurement for the Fleet Maintenance Facility in Esquimalt in 2009 . The tender for one phase of this project included several sections of the facility that had been designed by different consultants . However , it soon became evident during tender that the different parts had not been effectively integrated , as the bidder questions came pouring in by the hundreds . This could have resulted in a failed tender and significantly delayed the project . However , the DCC and DND team would not let that happen . Everyone pulled together , a new tracking system was put in place to track all the questions and answers , the tender closed and we had good bid results . The coordinated effort of DCC and DND in response to the crisis will always stay in my mind as a prime example of the teamwork that our partnership has developed over the years .
Project : Flying High in Shearwater
Home to Canada ’ s air squadrons for the past 80 years , 12 Wing Shearwater officially became a heliport in 1995 . The government ’ s decision to purchase CH-148 ( Cyclone ) helicopters to replace the aging Sea King Maritime Helicopters resulted in a need to expedite maintenance , support and squadron facilities for the new aircraft . A $ 99 million design / build contract , the largest single construction contract DCC had awarded to date , was designed to meet the tight schedule dictated by the helicopter contract delivery date and the operational requirements of the Air Force and Navy .
DCC Site Operations Manager Marc Brophy provided the background to the project in a 2007 interview :
Some of the existing hangars are 50 years old , and no longer meet current codes . This is even more important because the new helicopters are coming in . For a transition period , both airplanes are in the air at the same time — so there are mirror flying and maintenance requirements . In addition , the new aircraft require different tools and different systems . The three major buildings have been contracted using a design-build
118 BREAKING NEW GROUND DEFENCE CONSTRUCTION CANADA