# Former Base near Orleans, Ottawa?



## KerryBlue (27 Mar 2015)

So I have a few coworkers telling me that the land where the RCMP Technical and Protective Operations Facility sits now, near Orleans used to be a training area for the military, particularly armoured. You can see on the land a one of those large water tanks which tanks would drive through, and a hill climb, at least that's what my coworkers tell me. I have been doing lots of searching but cannot find much if anything about any DND base near Orleans. I was hoping that someone on here might know a thing or two about this. 


Cheers


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## George Wallace (27 Mar 2015)

KerryBlue said:
			
		

> So I have a few coworkers telling me that the land where the RCMP Technical and Protective Operations Facility sits now, near Orleans used to be a training area for the military, particularly armoured. You can see on the land a one of those large water tanks which tanks would drive through, and a hill climb, at least that's what my coworkers tell me. I have been doing lots of searching but cannot find much if anything about any DND base near Orleans. I was hoping that someone on here might know a thing or two about this.
> 
> 
> Cheers



It was not a Training Area.  It was a Testing Site.  It was known as:  Land Engineering Test Establishment (LETE).


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## KerryBlue (27 Mar 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It was not a Training Area.  It was a Testing Site.  It was known as:  Land Engineering Test Establishment (LETE).



Ah thank you very much George.


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## Good2Golf (27 Mar 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It was not a Training Area.  It was a Testing Site.  It was known as:  Land Engineering Test Establishment (LETE).



Peter Worthington's opinion (based on historical facts of public record) on how LETE met its end...

Not all Canadian inventions fly... (article).



> While not exactly a Canadian innovation, Canada’s adoption in 1994 of the LSVW (Light Support Vehicle Wheeled) to replace the army’s 5/4 truck is one of those things DND would like to forget.
> 
> Canada was in line to buy 2,879 of these trucks from Western Star, based in Kelowna, B.C. The LSVW was an Italian-designed truck and relatively cheap. The vehicle went to the military’s Land Engineering Test Establishment (LETE) before Canada committed itself to the purchase.
> 
> ...


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## AJFitzpatrick (14 May 2015)

Mer Bleue (~7 km S of Orleans) was used as a bombing range by RCAF during WWII


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## GreenWood (14 May 2015)

AJFitzpatrick said:
			
		

> Mer Bleue (~7 km S of Orleans) was used as a bombing range by RCAF during WWII



I had no idea of this! I live right around that area, interesting  ;D


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## George Wallace (14 May 2015)

AJFitzpatrick said:
			
		

> Mer Bleue (~7 km S of Orleans) was used as a bombing range by RCAF during WWII



Correct.  A close acquaintance of mine searching on a rumour, found the remains of a Staghound in the Mer Bleue marshes.  Perhaps the area, now a protected area visited by scientists from around the world is protected for other than scientific reasons..... :camo:


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## Blackadder1916 (14 May 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> . . . .  Perhaps the area, now a protected area visited by scientists from around the world is protected for other than scientific reasons.....



From the Ottawa Citizen 6 Feb 84
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19840206&id=O6QyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N-8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1252,2827343&hl=en


> During the war the Royal Canadian Air Force used the bog as a practice range, with the small islands in the middle of the swamp as targets.  The bombs that didn't go off are still there.
> 
> "Do Not Enter" signs will be posted around the isolated central portion of the swamp, which covers about one-third of the 6,000 acre bog, east of Ottawa and north of Carlsbad Springs.
> 
> The red-and-white warning signs will be placed at the perimeter of the former bombing range at all access points.



DND's UXO Program
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/business-unexploded-ordnance/uxo-sites.page


> ON899-091 Mer Bleue ON Confirmed



However there is no mention of prior use as a bombing range or potential (however slight) of UXO in the NCC's promotional material.
http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/greenbelt/mer-bleue
http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/sites/default/files/pubs/NCC-Mer-Bleue-Bog-Special-Place.pdf


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## PanaEng (14 May 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It was not a Training Area.  It was a Testing Site.  It was known as:  Land Engineering Test Establishment (LETE).



33 CBG uses the site occasionally for training as well as still used for testing veh and other "devices" by DND and defence/security contractors as well as advance police training.


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## George Wallace (14 May 2015)

PanaEng said:
			
		

> 33 CBG uses the site occasionally for training as well as still used for testing veh and other "devices" by DND and defence/security contractors as well as advance police training.



That does not make it any more a "Training Area" than any other location, unless you want to consider the whole 'world' as a "Training Area".  After all, it is not unknown for the CAF to train in "Civvieland" or the RMA, or whatever other name you would like to put to it.  LETE was a scientific testing facility, not really a "Training Area".  33 CBG conducts training inside of the old NDMC.  Do you consider that a "Training Area"?


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## PanaEng (14 May 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> That does not make it any more a "Training Area" than any other location, unless you want to consider the whole 'world' as a "Training Area".  After all, it is not unknown for the CAF to train in "Civvieland" or the RMA, or whatever other name you would like to put to it.  LETE was a scientific testing facility, not really a "Training Area".  33 CBG conducts training inside of the old NDMC.  Do you consider that a "Training Area"?


Of course; anywhere you train is a training area ;-)

BTW, where did I say it was a training area? I was just stating that it was still used for training and testing.
me thinks someone has missed their nap...  (all in jest of course)
 :cheers:


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## George Wallace (14 May 2015)

The "training area" reverts back to the original question of "if there was a training area" in Orleans, and coupled with your statement that 33 CBG trains there on occassion......alluding to it being a "training area".


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## MJP (14 May 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> The "training area" reverts back to the original question of "if there was a training area" in Orleans, and coupled with your statement that 33 CBG trains there on occassion......alluding to it being a "training area".



Omfg let it go....

https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU


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## George Wallace (14 May 2015)

MJP said:
			
		

> Omfg let it go....
> 
> https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU



Omfg.....Some people take things so seriously.....Really!


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## MJP (14 May 2015)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Omfg.....Some people take things so seriously.....Really!



Yea I have noticed that as well.


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## George Wallace (14 May 2015)

;D


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