CFB Chilliwack
Encyclopedia
Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack (also CFB Chilliwack) was a Canadian Forces Base
located in Chilliwack
, British Columbia
.
On 2 September 1997, (ASU) Area Support Unit Chilliwack was opened on the former CFB Chilliwack properties that was retained by the Canadian Forces
.
several kilometres south 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.
. 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.
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."
Canadian Forces base
A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...
located in Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
On 2 September 1997, (ASU) Area Support Unit Chilliwack was opened on the former CFB Chilliwack properties that was retained by the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
.
Camp Chilliwack
Military Camp Chilliwack (shortened to Camp Chilliwack) was established on February 15, 1941 on a parcel of land in the rural community of Vedder Crossing, along the north side of the Vedder RiverVedder River
The Vedder River, called the Chilliwack River above Vedder Crossing, is a river in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington....
several kilometres south of its discharge point into the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
. 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
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, launching the Pacific Theatre
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
took the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
by surprise.
The Canadian military's presence in British Columbia was restricted at that time to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
base at Esquimalt
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....
on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
as a defence project, followed by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's decision to construct RAF Station Comox
CFB Comox
Canadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
to boost Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
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
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, 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.
CFB Chilliwack
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 ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed 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
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
moved to CFB Chilliwack from Esquimalt, the last new unit to transfer to the facility.
Closure
Defence budget cutbacks and force consolidation following the end of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
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
CFB Gagetown
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, referred to as CFB Gagetown is a large Canadian Forces Base located in southwestern New Brunswick.- Construction of the base :...
and 3PPCLI moved to CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
.
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
Area Support Unit Chilliwack is a Canadian Forces facility located in Chilliwack, British Columbia.Located in the upper valley of the Fraser River, approximately east of Vancouver, it is the only Land Force Command facility in the province...
(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
Canada Lands Company
Canada Lands Company Limited is an arms length, self-financing Crown corporation reporting to Parliament through the Honourable John Baird, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons...
for disposal and is currently being developed into a residential subdivision named "Garrison Crossing."