Today, Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, announced that the Government of Canada is committing to provide up to $15.5 million in funding to the City of Saguenay for a short-term solution to address the presence of poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in the municipal water supply, in response to a request from the City of Saguenay.

“We have a responsibility to work with cities and provinces to safeguard the health of Canadians – and that is exactly what we are doing with today’s investment. From day one, we have worked closely with the City of Saguenay to address this issue – and we will continue to collaborate with the city and Quebec to protect the health and safety of local residents.”

- The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

“Right from the start, we have said we would do the responsible thing, and we have worked with the City of Saguenay and the Government of Quebec. Today, we are stepping up and we are going to continue to work for the well-being of Quebecers. We will never let them down.” 

- The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant

“National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces have a responsibility to be good neighbours to the communities in which our facilities are located. Today’s investment is proof of our commitment to collaboration with local communities. I thank the City for working with us to address this issue. CFB Bagotville will continue to be an important hub of defence and economic activity in the Saguenay region.”

- Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of National Defence

“We know Canadians are concerned about forever chemicals, which are more and more commonly used and appearing in our environment. That’s why the Government of Canada is actively collecting and monitoring concentrations of certain PFAS in the environment and in humans and conducting research projects to further understand the environmental and health impacts of PFAS.”

- The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

• PFAS have been found in surface water, sediment, soil, and groundwater on CFB Bagotville property. The presence of PFAS at CFB Bagotville is thought to be related to the past use of firefighting foams for training and operations. From 1972 until the early 2010s, DND conducted firefighter training with foam. These activities were conducted according to the accepted practices and regulations of the time. 

• While water is now used for training, firefighting foams containing PFAS are still used for emergencies as they are the safest and most effective way to extinguish fuel fires. When used, we follow standardized procedures to try to contain the foams and minimize their impacts on the environment as much as possible.

• Drinking water at CFB Bagotville is supplied by the City of Saguenay and is routinely tested. There are no concerns about the quality of the drinking water on the base. Test results from May 2023 did not find any PFAS in the base’s drinking water. The Province of Québec and the City of Saguenay regulate municipal water and are responsible for setting PFAS guidelines for drinking water in the region.

Associated links

• Statement from the Minister of National Defence on PFAS at CFB Bagotville

Daniel Minden
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Email: daniel.minden@forces.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca