CFB Chilliwack

Last updated
CFB Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Permanent Married Quarters CFB Chilliwack circa 1950 cropped.jpg
Aerial photo of the Permanent Married Quarters CFB, Chilliwack
Coordinates Coordinates: 49°6′11.35″N121°57′46.05″W / 49.1031528°N 121.9627917°W / 49.1031528; -121.9627917
Type Military base
Site information
Controlled by Canadian Forces
Site history
Built1942
In use1942–present
CFB Chilliwack memorial cenotaph at Keith Wilson and Vedder, Nov. 11, 2018 CFB Chilliwack memorial at Keith Wilson and Vedder Nnov 11 2018.jpg
CFB Chilliwack memorial cenotaph at Keith Wilson and Vedder, Nov. 11, 2018

Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack (also CFB Chilliwack) was a Canadian Forces Base located in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Contents

Camp Chilliwack

Military Camp Chilliwack (shortened to Camp Chilliwack) was established on February 15, 1942, on a parcel of land in the rural community of Vedder Crossing, along the north side of the Vedder River several kilometres east of its discharge point into the Fraser River. The property was bounded by Keith Wilson Road and Vedder Road and was intended as a Canadian Army post for defending the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

Camp Chilliwack was created only two months after the Empire of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, launching the Pacific Theatre of World War II. The swift succession of Japanese operations in the Aleutian Islands and a submarine presence off the west coast of North America, coupled with the fall of Hong Kong took the Department of National Defence by surprise.

The Canadian military's presence in British Columbia was restricted at that time to the Royal Canadian Navy base at Esquimalt on southern Vancouver Island plus a chain of RCAF land-based and flying boat stations including Sea Island (Vancouver), Victoria, Allingford Bay, Bella Coola and Prince Rupert. The rapid flow of events during late 1941 and early 1942 saw the United States military presence in the Pacific Northwest expand dramatically, with corresponding increases in Canada to meet the perceived Japanese threat. One manifestation was the agreement in February 1942 by both nations to construct the Alaska Highway as a defence project, followed by the Royal Air Force's decision to construct RAF Station Comox to boost Commonwealth air defence for Canada's west coast.

Camp Chilliwack opened several months later and housed several army units for territorial defence. But it soon became apparent as 1942 wore on that the Japanese threat to mainland North America was minor. Consequently, Camp Chilliwack was also designated as a recruit training centre and hosted the No. 112 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre, as well as the A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre (which was moved from Camp Dundurn in Saskatchewan).

During the postwar years and into the Cold War, Camp Chilliwack continued to operate as a permanent training establishment for the Canadian Army, as well as providing support to regular and reserve army units in British Columbia. The A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre was renamed the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering. In 1957, the 58th Field Engineer Squadron moved from the navy base at Esquimalt to Camp Chillwack.

In 1968, Canada unified its military forces when it merged the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy to create the Canadian Forces. Camp Chilliwack was renamed "Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack" (CFB Chilliwack) to reflect the new organization.

The Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering was renamed the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering following unification, and in 1970 the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School (CFOCS) moved to CFB Chilliwack.

In 1977, 3 Field Squadron was renamed 1 Combat Engineer Regiment.

CFB Chilliwack took responsibility for supporting all Canadian Forces units in the lower mainland of British Columbia, including the Jericho Beach Garrison in Vancouver.

In 1994, the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry moved to CFB Chilliwack from Esquimalt, the last new unit to transfer to the facility.

Flags at CFB Chilliwack memorial cenotaph at Keith Wilson and Vedder, 2018 CFB Chilliwack memorial at Keith Wilson and Vedder 2018.jpg
Flags at CFB Chilliwack memorial cenotaph at Keith Wilson and Vedder, 2018

Closure

Defence budget cutbacks and force consolidation following the end of the Cold War saw CFB Chilliwack identified in the mid-1990s as a candidate for closure by 1997. The CFOCS was moved to ASU St-Jean while the CFSME was moved to CFB Gagetown and 3PPCLI moved to CFB Edmonton.

The base consisted of two separate properties; the Vedder Creek location was the main part of the base and was mothballed, whereas the Chilcotin training area and firing ranges were kept by DND for use by local reserve units in the Vancouver area.

Area Support Unit Chilliwack (ASU Chilliwack) was established on September 2, 1997 at the Vedder Creek property to provide support to reserve and regular force units on mainland British Columbia, while the remainder of the Vedder Creek property has been transferred to the Canada Lands Company for disposal and is currently being developed into a residential subdivision named "Garrison Crossing."

After the closure of CFB Chilliwack, the Royal Engineer Log Building was moved by 6 Field Squadron from CFB Chilliwack to the Six Field Engineer Squadron Museum Association's Armoury in 2000. It was originally built in 1860 to provide accommodation for the Royal Engineer team surveying the 49th parallel between Canada and the United States. [1]

Post office

CFB Chiliwack had a Military Post Office (MPO) from July 1944 to August 1946. A regular post office with the name "CFB Chilliwack" was opened in 1979. [2]

Related Research Articles

Chilliwack City in British Columbia, Canada

Chilliwack is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located 102 kilometres (63 mi) east of Vancouver off the Trans Canada Highway. Historically an agricultural community, Chilliwack's population is now primarily suburban. The Fraser Valley Regional District is headquartered in Chilliwack, which is the Fraser Valley's second largest city after Abbotsford. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are many outdoor activities in the area, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking horseback riding, whitewater kayaking, camping, fishing, golf and paragliding.

Canadian Forces Base Borden, formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is home to the largest training wing in the Canadian Armed Forces. The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston.

CFB Kingston Canadian military base in Kingston, Ontario

Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces Base operated by the Canadian Army located in Kingston, Ontario.

CFB Shearwater

Royal Canadian Air Force Base Shearwater, commonly referred to as RCAF Shearwater, was a Canadian Forces base located 4.5 nautical miles east southeast of Shearwater, Nova Scotia, on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Following a base rationalization program in the mid-1990s, the Canadian Forces closed CFB Shearwater as a separate formation and realigned the property's various facilities into CFB Halifax. These include:

Canadian Forces base Military installation of the Canadian Armed Forces

A Canadian Forces base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Armed Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces base, it must station one or more major units.

5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Gagetown, is a large Canadian Forces Base covering an area over 1,100 km2 (420 sq mi), located in southwestern New Brunswick.

CFB Esquimalt

Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. As of 2018, 4,411 military personnel and 2,762 civilians work at CFB Esquimalt.

3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright, commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Wainwright or CFB Wainwright, is a Canadian Forces Base located in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright.

CFB Edmonton Canadian Forces base

CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".

Canadian Military Engineers Military unit

The Canadian Military Engineers is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers.

Canadian Forces Base Toronto is a former Canadian Forces base in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently operated as Toronto / Downsview Airport.

Maritime Forces Pacific Military unit

In the Canadian Forces, Maritime Forces Pacific is responsible for the fleet training and operational readiness of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Pacific Ocean. It was once referred to as Canadian Pacific Station.

6 Engineer Squadron is a Primary Reserve Canadian Military Engineer unit of the Canadian Forces. 6 Engineer Squadron is part of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group, headquarters for all Primary Reserve units in British Columbia. 6 Engineer Squadron is a sub unit of 39 Combat Engineer Regiment.

Canadian Forces Europe was the Canadian Forces military formation in Europe during the Cold War. The CF assisted other NATO allies in watching the military activities of Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union.

Area Support Unit Chilliwack is a Canadian Forces facility located in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

The Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME), located at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto, New Brunswick is responsible for the conduct of 85 different courses that span all ranks and occupations within the Combat Engineering and Construction Engineering organizations. CFSME is the Canadian Forces Centre of Excellence in military engineer Training.

Vedder Crossing is adjacent to the junction of the Chilliwack and Vedder Rivers at its southern boundary, and Promontory Road to the north.

The following is a hierarchical outline for the Canadian Armed Forces at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations.

Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Canadian military band

The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy is one of six regular force military bands of the Canadian Forces. The Royal Canadian Navy band is based at CFB Esquimalt in Esquimalt, British Columbia that serves as the official musical unit of the Canadian Forces Maritime Forces Pacific Command (MARPAC).

The Band of the Royal Canadian Engineers was a Canadian Army military band that served briefly for 15 years from 1953 to 1968. During its entire existence, it was based in Chilliwack, British Columbia. It was the premier band in the RCE, having precedence over other small unit bands such as the Band of the 48th Squadron. It was established at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering and primarily recruited from a mix of Canadian nationals as well as musicians from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Hungary. It has performed for members of the Canadian royal family as well as Governors General of Canada. In September 1964, the band performed during the arrival of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in Vancouver for the Columbia River Treaty ceremonies. 1967 marked a busy schedule for the band. In this year, it performed during Expo 67, the Seattle Armed Forces Pageant, and the Centennial Grand Military Tattoo. Due to a mass reorganisation of Canadian military bands across the military services that came as a result of the Canadian Forces unification, the band was dissolved in 1968. It was lastly directed by Captain Leonard Camplin, who began his service with the band in 1961.

References

  1. "Royal Engineer Log Building". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. National Defence Canada. 2008-04-16. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  2. BC Names entry "CFB Chilliwack (Post office)"