The Jack Garland Airport PFAS Remediation Project is a multi-year environmental initiative addressing PFAS contamination associated with historic firefighting training activities conducted by the Department of National Defence (DND) at Jack Garland Airport and 22 Wing/CFB North Bay from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s. The City of North Bay assumed ownership of the airport lands from the federal government in 1998.
As the current owner of the property, the City of North Bay is leading investigation, remediation, monitoring, and treatment planning activities on municipal lands, including Jack Garland Airport. The Department of National Defence (DND) is leading investigation and remediation activities on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) North Bay lands and other areas that remain under federal responsibility.
Working collaboratively with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (NBPSDHU), and environmental consultants, including Jacobs Consultancy Canada Inc., the City and DND are advancing efforts to evaluate and implement safe and effective solutions that reduce environmental impacts and protect local water resources.
The project includes environmental investigations, remediation, groundwater and surface water treatment measures, ongoing environmental monitoring, and the evaluation of long-term drinking water treatment options. Supported through federal and municipal funding, this work is being carried out in phases and will continue over the coming years.
The City remains committed to moving remediation efforts forward as quickly as possible while prioritizing the health and safety of residents and protecting North Bay's drinking water sources.
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On-site remediation work began in 2024 and focuses on preventing the movement of PFAS from airport lands into surrounding groundwater and surface water.
Current remediation measures include:
Soil remediation
Areas containing the highest concentrations of PFAS have already been excavated and remediated, resulting in the removal of more than 23,000 tonnes of PFAS-contaminated soil from the airport property.
Surface water protection
As part of a pilot program, surface water is now being treated at the outlet of a stormwater pond to remove PFAS before it leaves the airport lands. The findings will help guide long-term solutions and broader implementation.
Groundwater treatment
To be tendered later this year, the next phase of remediation involves installing adsorptive materials into groundwater flow paths to intercept and treat PFAS before groundwater moves off-site. These materials will be injected at identified hotspots along the site boundary.
Monitoring and evaluation
Environmental monitoring continues throughout the remediation process to measure the effectiveness of treatment efforts, identify emerging priorities, and guide future remediation activities.
Drinking Water Treatment Pilot (starting this summer)
A 12-month pilot will be carried out at the North Bay Water Treatment Plant. The pilot will test different PFAS treatment technologies, including granular activated carbon and ion exchange. It will help assess how well these technologies work under local conditions and support the goal of meeting Health Canada’s drinking water objective for PFAS.
The results of the pilot will be used to inform the design of long-term drinking water treatment solutions.
The project is supported primarily through federal funding provided by the Department of National Defence.
In 2021, the City and DND entered into a $20 million contribution agreement to environmental investigations and remediation activities at Jack Garland Airport.
In December 2025, DND announced an amendment to the agreement, increasing total funding to approximately $120 million over a 16-year period. This funding is expected to cover approximately 97 per cent of planned remediation costs.
DND and the City have also entered into a separate contribution agreement of up to $8.25 million to support the engineering and design of upgrades to the North Bay Drinking Water Treatment Plant and pilot testing of PFAS treatment technologies.
Discussions between the City and DND regarding future remediation activities, funding requirements, and next steps for PFAS treatment are ongoing.
The City of North Bay is committed to keeping residents informed as the project progresses.