A major expansion at 17 Wing Winnipeg could bring up to 1,400 new jobs to the city.
Premier Wab Kinew announced Monday that the province is supporting a significant expansion at 17 Wing Winnipeg that will strengthen national defence while boosting the province’s economy.
Province gives project priority access to electricity grid
The province is backing the project with priority access to electricity under Manitoba’s updated hydro regulations, enabling critical upgrades and new developments at the Canadian Armed Forces base in Winnipeg to support future training needs, defence infrastructure, and base electrification. The improvements will also support future expansion.
“The exciting expansion at 17 Wing Winnipeg is exactly the kind of project we want to prioritize when connecting new demand to Manitoba’s hydro grid,” said Kinew.
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Energy demand driven by critical operations
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting and mission-critical operations drive the site’s energy demand.
The expansion includes the design and construction of a new Department of National Defence-owned substation, which will provide reliable electrical capacity to support long-term CAF modernization initiatives and electrification of the base’s light-duty vehicle fleet, in line with federal policy objectives.
Once the work is complete, the expansion is expected to enable further investment and support up to 1,400 new jobs, with planning already underway
17 Wing Winnipeg is an important military base that is always running and handles things like flying operations, communications, security, and emergency response.