CFB Petawawa
Encyclopedia
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 Petawawa, Ontario
Petawawa, Ontario
Petawawa is a town located in eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 14,651 . Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County.-Geography:...
. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
.
Base facts
The base is located in the Ottawa ValleyOttawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
in Renfrew County
Renfrew County, Ontario
Renfrew is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. In 2006, the population was 97,545 and county covered , giving a population density of . There are 17 official municipalities.-Government:...
, 170 kilometres (105.6 mi) northwest of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
along the western bank of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. Its main gate is adjacent to the town of Petawawa
Petawawa, Ontario
Petawawa is a town located in eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 14,651 . Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County.-Geography:...
. The majority of the base territory is in the municipality of Laurentian Hills
Laurentian Hills, Ontario
Laurentian Hills is a municipality in Eastern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River in Renfrew County. It surrounds Deep River. The town is home to the Nuclear Power Demonstration...
, with portions also in Petawawa and Deep River
Deep River, Ontario
Deep River is a town in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Located along the Ottawa River, it lies about north-west of Ottawa on the Trans-Canada Highway...
.
Approximate personnel numbers are as follows:
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe 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."...
personnel: 4,328 - DNDDepartment 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...
civilian employees: 936 - Canadian Forces dependents: 5,653
Approximately 6,000 people directly connected to the base live in local communities between Deep River and Pembroke.
The base has an extensive infrastructure with 465 buildings and over 300 km2 of property comprising the Petawawa Training Area.
Fitness facilities
Dundonald Hall is CFB Petawawa's main fitness facility and is located on Festubert Boulevard. It houses a 5,000 square metre field house containing a 200 meter indoor running track, a 25 metre swimming pool, a wading pool equipped with a winding water slide, and whirlpool and sauna facilities.The complex houses a gymnasium, aerobic studio, teen room, preschool play rooms and meeting rooms. The "Rec Plex" is home to numerous clubs and societies on the base such as the Karate Club, Preschool Clubs and the Indoor Rock Climbing Club.
Recreation
The South Side Community Centre offers similar facilities and services to another area of the Petawawa community. The combination of Recreation Service's, Military Family Resources Services and Canex shopping make this facility the ideal "one-stop-shopping" building for those on base.During the summer, recreation options include golf on the base's 18-hole course, hiking local trails, beaches on local lakes and rivers, a full service marina for sail and power boating on the Ottawa River, or camping along the banks of the Ottawa River.
Winter recreation options include cross country ski trails, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and curling.
History
Founded in 1905 as the Petawawa Military Camp, or Camp Petawawa, the base was created by the Department of Militia and DefenceDepartment of Militia and Defence (Canada)
The Department of Militia and Defence was the department responsible for military forces in Canada from 1906-1921.The Minister of Militia and Defence was in charge of this department....
upon the purchase of 22430 acres (90.8 km²) of mostly agricultural property from local residents.
The base derives its name from the Petawawa River
Petawawa River
The Petawawa River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to the Ottawa River at the town of Petawawa...
. The origin of the name PETAWAWA is lost in antiquity, but legend has it that it is an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
Indian word pronounced PETWEWE. The translation is thought to mean, "Where one hears noise like this", referring to the sound of the fast water over the rocks in the river. In another legend it is said that the area was named after an indigenous woman who inhabited the banks of the Petawawa River and lived to the age of 115 years old.
Early French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorers used a trail or route through this area. The Mattawa
Mattawa River
The Mattawa River is a river in central Ontario, Canada. It flows east from Trout Lake east of North Bay and enters the Ottawa River at the town of Mattawa. Counting from the head of Trout Lake, it is 76 km in length...
Trail, now called Mattawa Road still exists on parts of the base today. The site was originally a German immigrant settlement. German pioneers toiled to build a community out of the harsh and rugged terrain. Some of the topographical features in the training area still bear the names of these early settlers.
By 1904 the Department of Militia and Defence purchased 150 properties from these settlers totaling 90 square kilometres (22,239.5 acre). The Royal Canadian Horse and Garrison Artillery were the first to train at Petawawa Military Camp during the summer of 1905. In 1906 the Royal Canadian Engineers constructed huts, stables and installed water and gas systems. In that same year "A" and "B" Batteries of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. RCHA units are the senior units of the Canadian land field force, with a history dating back to the birth of Canada as a nation...
, commenced the first of many marches to Camp Petawawa for summer training from their permanent station in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
.
By 1907 combined training and tactical exercises were conducted by various other units such as A and B Squadron, Royal Canadian Dragoons; A and B Batteries, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery; No. 2 Company, Royal Canadian Engineers; a battalion from The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
; and detachments from the Medical and Ordnance Corps.
The first military aircraft flight in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
took place at Petawawa. On 31 July 1909 under perfect weather conditions, J.A.D. McCurdy and F.W. Baldwin flew the "Silver Dart
Silver Dart
Silver Dart may refer to:*AEA Silver Dart - An early aircraft which was flown off the ice at Baddeck, Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909. This was the first controlled powered flight in Canada....
" at Camp Petawawa in the presence of military observers. From December 1914 to May 1916, Petawawa was used as an internment camp for 750 German and Austrian prisoners of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. At the same time Canada Car and Foundry Company had developed three inch shells and were being tested at the camp by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n artillery. The prisoners were instrumental in helping clear roads and timber to make these tests possible. From May 1916 to 1918, 10,767 Canadian troops were trained at Petawawa before being sent overseas.
During 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...
, three training centres (two artillery and one engineering) were established at Camp Petawawa. In September 1942, 12,515 troops were stationed on the base. The peak load was reached during 1943 when approximately 20,000 troops were undergoing training at one time. As in the previous war, Petawawa was the site of an internment camp. The camp's official designation was Internment Camp No.33; located at Centre Lake it held 645 civilian internees. There were 28 different nationalities, the majority being German people.
In 1947, the training of militia and regular units of the Canadian Army resumed. The Royal Canadian Dragoons and 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
were moved to Camp Petawawa in 1948. Upon being given the status of a permanent camp, it was officially designated " Camp Petawawa" in May 1951. During the next few years construction continued in order to accommodate more regular units, married quarters and schools for the soldier's dependents. Units of the Special Force
Special Force
Special Force is a first-person shooter military video game, published by Hezbollah, created using the Genesis 3D engine. The game is set in a 3D environment, in which the player takes the role of a Hezbollah combatant fighting the IDF...
, such as 2 RCHA, 8th Hussars, PPCLI, and 1 RCR earmarked for service in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
were concentrated at Petawawa before transferring to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for departure to the Korean Theatre. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Group was stationed to Petawawa upon return from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1959. This formation was redesignated 2 Combat Group in 1966.
The unification of 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."...
resulted in Camp Petawawa being renamed Canadian Forces Base Petawawa (CFB Petawawa) on February 1, 1968. Under the CF, the base was allocated to Mobile Command
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
.
On 1 April 1977, 2 Combat Group was disbanded. 2 Combat Group combined with the Canadian Airborne Regiment at CFB Petawawa to form the Special Service Force
Special Service Force
The Special Service Force is a designation used by a Second World war Canadian-American formation, and also used by a Canadian Army formation from 1977 to 1995.Motto - OSONS -Second World War: 1st Special Service Force:...
. The Special Service Force constituted a unique chapter in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's military history. It derived its name from the first Special Service Force, an historic formation of Americans and Canadians which pioneered special forces operations in a brief but immensely successful history during the second world war. The latter-day Special Service Force represented a compromise between the general purpose combat capabilities of a normal brigade and the strategic and tactical flexibility which derived from the lighter and more mobile capabilities of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Units and soldiers of the Special Service Force served in operations both at home and around the world.
The Special Service Force was officially re-designated as 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Central Area of the Canadian army. It is currently based in CFB Petawawa...
by a Ministerial Order signed on 24 April 1995 . This decision to re-organize and re-equip the formation was due to current emphasis in Canadian defence policy on general-purpose capabilities. With a smaller force structure, a smaller defence budget and more frequent operational taskings, it has become clear that general-purpose capabilities provide the best return on Canada's investment in defence. Accordingly, 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group of Petawawa has been designed to be a mirror image of its two sister formations, 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, based in Edmonton, Alberta and 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Quebec Area of the Canadian army. It is based at CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City in Quebec, Canada...
, based in Valcartier, Quebec.
At CFB Petawawa, Barracks Building F-16 is a recognized Federal Heritage building 1995 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.
Recent
Currently there are approximately 6,100 persons employed at CFB Petawawa (5,100 of them military) whom are included in the units of 2 CMBG, CFB/ASU Petawawa and lodger units. Soldiers at CFB Petawawa have been involved in many operations throughout the world including tours in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
In 2005, CFB Petawawa celebrated its first 100 years of service. A number of events were planned in conjunction with units and the local communities to commemorate this special occasion.
New CH-147F Chinook helicopters will be based at CFB Petawawa when they become operational in 2013.
Current operations
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa is the home of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Central Area of the Canadian army. It is currently based in CFB Petawawa...
, which is made up of:
- 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters & Signal Squadron
- 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse ArtilleryRoyal Canadian Horse ArtilleryThe Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. RCHA units are the senior units of the Canadian land field force, with a history dating back to the birth of Canada as a nation...
- The Royal Canadian DragoonsThe Royal Canadian DragoonsThe Royal Canadian Dragoons is an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps....
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment3 Royal Canadian Regiment3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment is a regular force light infantry battalion of the Canadian Forces. As of 2011, 3 RCR was designated Canada's first airmobile battalion...
- 2 Combat Engineer Regiment2 Combat Engineer Regiment2 Combat Engineer Regiment is a regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers. It is located at CFB Petawawa, and is part of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
The base motto is, in the eastern Anishinaabe language, endazhe kinamandowa chimaganishak (or fully vocalized as endazhi-gikinoo'amawindowaa zhimaaganishag). The literal English translation is "Training Ground of the Soldiers". The translation used on the base is "Training Ground of the Warriors".