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Project: The Pinetree line
Started jointly by the United States and Canada in the 1950s, the Pinetree Line was the most southerly of three radar lines designed to detect enemy aircraft to protect North America.
Project: The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line
The relatively southerly position of the Pinetree Line brought with it some serious limitations for North American defence. The DEW Line in the Canadian Arctic, roughly along the 70th parallel, was one solution.
Project: The Northern Ontario Pipeline
The pipeline to export Alberta natural gas to eastern Canadian markets is considered a crucial supply line from the west to the east.
Project: The Experimental Army Signals Establishment
Commonly known as the Diefenbunker, EASE is built in Carp, Ontario between 1959 and 1961 to shelter Canada’s leaders in the event of nuclear war.
Project: The 1967 World's Fair (Expo 67)
The Canadian and provincial pavilions at Expo 67 — the main celebration of Canada’s centennial year — showcased modern architecture. More than 50 million visitors and 62 nations attended the World’s Fair, held in Montreal from April to October 1967.
Project: The British Army Training Unit at Suffield
BATUS is the result of Canada’s NATO commitments on home soil to construct training facilities for British forces at Suffield, Alberta.
Project: Halifax Syncrolift
In 1966, the construction of the new Syncrolift drydock in Halifax. It is a new method of drydocking ships, designed specifically to handle the new Royal Canadian Navy submarines
Defence Construction – Timeline of key events
1950
Defence Construction Limited (DCL) is created when Cabinet authorizes Wartime Housing Limited’s name change, providing the administrative structure on which to build DCL. Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is brought on board to be DCL’s operating and financial agent.
1951
The charter for Defence Construction (1951) Limited is signed, creating a fully-fledged Crown corporation, pursuant to the Defence Production Act and operating as tendering and supervisory authority for the Department of National Defence’s (DND) construction requirements. The Corporation reports to the Minister of Defence Production.
1954
Cabinet approves the termination of the management agreement with CMHC.
1965
Responsibility for DCL is transferred from the Minister of Defence Production to the Minister of National Defence. Accompanied by this transfer is a Memorandum of Understanding that forms a lasting joint venture involving Defence Construction and the DND.
1980
The Federal Identity Program provides DCL with a new name – Defence Construction Canada / Construction de Défense Canada.
1986
Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen, chair of the Ministerial Task Force on Program Review, a comprehensive assessment of all federal spending, reaffirms the value of Defence Construction Canada (DCC) as a Crown corporation and its relationship with the DND.
1986
DCC’s status as a Crown corporation is affirmed for an indefinite period and responsibility is transferred to the Minister of Public Works.
1989
After years of maintaining its own inventory of consulting firms, DCC engineering staff works in conjunction with Public Works to develop a national consultant inventory and selection system, known as SPEC (Selection, Prequalification and Evaluation of Consultants).
1990
As a result of government reorganization, responsibility for DCC transfers from the Minister of Public Works to the Minister of Supply and Services. This is an interim step as the government moves toward amalgamating those two ministries into the Department of Public Works and Government Services.
Mid-1990s
A government infrastructure reduction program triggers an increase and change in DCC’s business approach. Environmental services are now required in the demolition and site remediation of DND facilities and focuses on reducing, reusing and recycling.
1993
DCC replaces its old system of advertising proposed procurements in newspapers and trade journals with the Open Bidding Service database.
1997
DCC carries out research into cost recovery and billing methods and an agreement with the Assistant Deputy Minister Infrastructure and Environment changes the business model to a full fee-for-service approach. Budgetary appropriations are no longer required.
2001
DCC celebrates its 50th anniversary with events at the national, region and local levels. Staff donate their time and labour to activities such as the Trans-Canada Trail in Cole Harbour, N.S. and Habitat for Humanity. Fifty years after the birth of Defence Construction a new Memorandum of Understanding between DCC and DND is signed.
2005
DCC broadens its lines of services and moves to a matrix approach for service line delivery. This new approach responds to DND’s needs by assembling teams that integrate the strengths from each of the service lines to get the job done, efficiently and effectively.
2011
DCC celebrates its 60th anniversary.
