CFB Suffield
Encyclopedia
Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield), is the largest Canadian Forces Base
and the largest Commonwealth
military training base in the world. It is located in southeastern Alberta
, 3 NM north northwest of Suffield
, 50 km (31.1 mi) north of the city of Medicine Hat and 250 km (155.3 mi) southeast of Calgary
.
The base has its own radio station, CKBF-FM
, which airs programming for both the Canadian and British military personnel stationed at the base.
ratified a ten-year agreement with the British Government
that allowed the British Armed Forces
to use the northern three quarters of the Suffield Block
. On December 1, 1971, the Canadian Forces Base Suffield (CFB Suffield) was officially created and allocated to Mobile Command. By January 1972, the British Army Training Unit Suffield
(BATUS) was established and the first live round was fired by a battlegroup
from the 4th Royal Tank Regiment
(4th RTR) on July 15, 1972.
In 1996/1997, CFB Suffield had two recognized Federal Heritage buildings on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings: Central Laboratory, Building B-1 and Ralston School Recognized.
and comprised marginal agricultural land, given the perpetual semi-arid climate. Some settlement was attempted, but most farms were abandoned during the droughts of the 1920s. The total area measures approximately 2690 km² (1,038.6 sq mi) and borders an area north of the South Saskatchewan River
.
Following the fall of Algeria
to Nazi Germany
, the British Army
required a new training facility for carrying out experiments in chemical warfare
. In 1941, the federal government expropriated the Suffield Block, purchasing the majority of the land from the Canadian Pacific Railway
and the Hudson's Bay Company
; 452 residents were displaced. Experimental Station Suffield
commenced operations on June 11, 1941.
British forces left the joint operation of Suffield to the Canadian Army
in 1946. In 1947 the Canadian Army turned operation of Experimental Station Suffield over to the Defence Research Board
. now Defence Research and Development Canada. In 1950 the facility was renamed Suffield Experimental Station
and in 1967 it was renamed to Defence Research Establishment Suffield
(DRES). Throughout the period from 1947–1971, the Canadian Army continued occasional use of the Suffield ranges.
. DRES continued until 2000 when it was merged into a new organization Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).
British Army training has continued at Suffield since 1971, with the shared-use agreement being extended several times (made indefinite in 2006). Regular and reserve units of Canadian Forces Land Force Command
began to make use of the base beginning in 1991, around the same time as the downgrading of CFB Wainwright
. The British Army Training Unit Suffield
(BATUS) consists of pool training equipment used by army units rotating through the base on exercises, as well as a training "opposition force" (OPFOR).
responding to the scientific
and technological
needs of the Canadian Forces. Its mission is to ensure that the CF remains scientifically and operationally relevant. The agency is made up of six research laboratories, one of which being DRDC Suffield
. DRDC Suffield is the lead laboratory for Chemical and Biological Defence research, as well as in areas generally related to military engineering, mobility systems, and weapons system evaluation.
. In 1992, the military signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Environment Canada
and in 2003 lands along the South Saskatchewan River comprising some 458 km² (176.8 sq mi) were designated as the Suffield National Wildlife Area
.
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...
and the largest 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...
military training base in the world. It is located in southeastern Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, 3 NM north northwest of Suffield
Suffield, Alberta
Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway approximately northwest of Medicine Hat.- History :...
, 50 km (31.1 mi) north of the city of Medicine Hat and 250 km (155.3 mi) southeast of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
The base has its own radio station, CKBF-FM
CKBF-FM
CKBF-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 104.1 FM at CFB Suffield in the province of Alberta. The station airs a mixture of news and music programming, some produced locally for British and Canadian personnel stationed at the base, and some syndicated from the British Forces...
, which airs programming for both the Canadian and British military personnel stationed at the base.
History
On August 25, 1971, the Canadian GovernmentGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
ratified a ten-year agreement with the British Government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
that allowed the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
to use the northern three quarters of the Suffield Block
Suffield Block
The Suffield Block is an area located within Cypress County, southern Alberta, Canada approximately bounded by Highway 884 on the west, Highway 555 on the north,the South Saskatchewan River on the east and the Trans-Canada Highway on the south...
. On December 1, 1971, the Canadian Forces Base Suffield (CFB Suffield) was officially created and allocated to Mobile Command. By January 1972, the British Army Training Unit Suffield
British Army Training Unit Suffield
The British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada...
(BATUS) was established and the first live round was fired by a battlegroup
Battlegroup (army)
A battlegroup , or task force in modern military theory, is the basic building block of an army's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an infantry battalion or armoured regiment, which is usually commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel...
from the 4th Royal Tank Regiment
4th Royal Tank Regiment
The 4th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1993. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
(4th RTR) on July 15, 1972.
In 1996/1997, CFB Suffield had two recognized Federal Heritage buildings on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings: Central Laboratory, Building B-1 and Ralston School Recognized.
Chemical warfare training
The lands comprising modern-day CFB Suffield were known as the "Suffield Block", resulting from the Dominion Land SurveyDominion Land Survey
The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...
and comprised marginal agricultural land, given the perpetual semi-arid climate. Some settlement was attempted, but most farms were abandoned during the droughts of the 1920s. The total area measures approximately 2690 km² (1,038.6 sq mi) and borders an area north of the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
.
Following the fall of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
required a new training facility for carrying out experiments in chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
. In 1941, the federal government expropriated the Suffield Block, purchasing the majority of the land from the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
; 452 residents were displaced. Experimental Station Suffield
Experimental Station Suffield
The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Experimental Station Suffield from its inception into 1941 to its renaming to the Suffield Experimental Station in 1950....
commenced operations on June 11, 1941.
British forces left the joint operation of Suffield to the Canadian Army
History of the Canadian Army
The Canadian Army as such originally only existed under that name from November 1940 to February 1968. However, the term has been traditionally applied to the ground forces of Canada's military from Confederation in 1867 to the present...
in 1946. In 1947 the Canadian Army turned operation of Experimental Station Suffield over to the Defence Research Board
Defence Research and Development Canada
Defence Research and Development Canada, also Defence R&D Canada or DRDC , is an agency of the Department of National Defence , whose purpose is to respond to the scientific and technological needs of the Canadian Forces...
. now Defence Research and Development Canada. In 1950 the facility was renamed Suffield Experimental Station
Suffield Experimental Station
The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Suffield Experimental Station from 1950 to its renaming to the Defence Research Establishment Suffield in 1967.-History:...
and in 1967 it was renamed to Defence Research Establishment Suffield
Defence Research Establishment Suffield
The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Defence Research Establishment Suffield from 1967 to its renaming to DRDC Suffield in 2000.-History:...
(DRES). Throughout the period from 1947–1971, the Canadian Army continued occasional use of the Suffield ranges.
Armoured unit training
In 1971 an agreement was signed between the British and Canadian governments permitting the British Army to use over three-quarters of the Suffield Block for armoured, infantry, and artillery live-fire training. DRES was renamed Canadian Forces Base Suffield (CFB Suffield) and new base housing and support facilities were constructed for the British Army and Canadian Forces personnel, including refurbishing the community at RalstonRalston, Alberta
The Crown Village of Ralston is located on CFB Suffield within Cypress County in southern Alberta, Canada, approximately north of the Hamlet of Suffield. Approval was given in August 1947 for the construction of 60 prefabricated housing units for scientists, technologists, and military personnel...
. DRES continued until 2000 when it was merged into a new organization Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).
British Army training has continued at Suffield since 1971, with the shared-use agreement being extended several times (made indefinite in 2006). Regular and reserve units of 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...
began to make use of the base beginning in 1991, around the same time as the downgrading of CFB Wainwright
CFB Wainwright
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, commonly referred to as CFB Wainwright is a Canadian Forces Base located in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright.-Military Camp Wainwright:...
. The British Army Training Unit Suffield
British Army Training Unit Suffield
The British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada...
(BATUS) consists of pool training equipment used by army units rotating through the base on exercises, as well as a training "opposition force" (OPFOR).
Defence R&D Canada−Suffield
Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) is an agency of the Canadian Department of National DefenceDepartment 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...
responding to the scientific
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
and technological
Military technology
Military technology is the collection of equipment, vehicles, structures and communication systems that are designed for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they are impractical in civilian...
needs of the Canadian Forces. Its mission is to ensure that the CF remains scientifically and operationally relevant. The agency is made up of six research laboratories, one of which being DRDC Suffield
DRDC Suffield
DRDC Suffield is a major Canadian military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta and is one of seven centres making up Defence Research and Development Canada .-History:...
. DRDC Suffield is the lead laboratory for Chemical and Biological Defence research, as well as in areas generally related to military engineering, mobility systems, and weapons system evaluation.
Wildlife refuge
Ironically, the decision to designate the Suffield Block a military training facility in 1941 left tens of square kilometres of undisturbed prairie grassland intact from the effects of industrial agricultureIndustrial agriculture
Industrial farming is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. The methods of industrial agriculture are technoscientific, economic, and political...
. In 1992, the military signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
and in 2003 lands along the South Saskatchewan River comprising some 458 km² (176.8 sq mi) were designated as the Suffield National Wildlife Area
Suffield National Wildlife Area
Suffield National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area located within the boundaries of CFB Suffield in Alberta, Canada.SNWA was formally created on the 19th of June, 2003 when it was officially gazetted under Canada Wildlife Act Regulations. The Department of National Defence was delegated...
.
See also
- British Army Training Unit SuffieldBritish Army Training Unit SuffieldThe British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada...
- Defence Research and Development Canada SuffieldDRDC SuffieldDRDC Suffield is a major Canadian military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta and is one of seven centres making up Defence Research and Development Canada .-History:...
- Science and technology in CanadaScience and technology in CanadaScience and technology in Canada consists of three distinct but closely related phenomena:* the diffusion of technology in Canada,* scientific research in Canada* innovation, invention and industrial research in Canada...