Cornwallis Vs. St Jean

[safeboy43]

Hey guys,

This question has been eating at me for awhile now. I know some people that have been through Cornwallis in the 80's and they keep saying, "It's not fair. Cornwallis was hell tough and we were living in WW2 barracks. Now in the new building (St. Jean) the basic is too easy." I don't know if what they say is true but it would be nice to have somebody who went through both and make a bit of a comparison.

P.S- My goal is not to start a war between the two bases but please feel free to post you're comments!

Safeboy

 

[PiperDown]

I went through Cornwallis (shudder) in 1991.. the instuctors used to beat us on a regular basis.. and I heard that in St Jean.. there are cleaners who come in at night and get the building ready for inspection while the troops are running around camp in civies.. and heading to montreal for the evening..  ;D

This topic is a can of worms about to be open.. And I am sure, that since the beginning of time.. those who went before you, had it harder...

I do find it a little strange when I see a post on the forums from someone currently in basic..  Wow, computer access.. we were not even allowed to touch the pop machine !!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

....uphill..BOTH ways..waist deep in wet snow.........and no shoes!!!!

 

[safeboy43]

the instuctors used to beat us on a regular basis..

Really? My friend went through in 89 and said that they passed a law that they wern't allowed to beat you. Although in St Jean, the instructors can't even touch you without permission....

 

[Kat Stevens]

....uphill..BOTH ways..waist deep in wet snow.........and no shoes!!!!

... and we were thankful!

 

[scoutfinch]

Geez... and I am doing a reserve BMQ currently where we are NOT PERMITTED to do PT as part of the course materials!  (I shit you not!) 

 

[TCBF]

That's so they don't hurt you and enable a claim against the crown.  It's your job to get in shape and stay there.

 

[scoutfinch]

I agree with the reasoning.  I just think it is sad that it has come to that point.  I realize that people doing strenous activities once per week without the proper preparation are begging for an injury.  Besides, the brief PT sessions on Saturday and Sunday morning will hardly enable a person to become fit.

But it is disappointing.  I was hoping to use the opportunity to improve my upper body strength... now I have to find the self-discpiline to do it myself (of which I have none when it comes to perfecting pushups so I have hired a personal trainer three times per week for the duration of the course to work on my upper body strength.) 

 

[Wookilar]

Having done both CFRS Cornwallis and CFLRS St. Jean, IMO Cornwallis was the superior of the two. Just the set-up alone.

There is way too much of a chance of not leaving the Mega for days, depending on what your schedule is. In Cornwallis, you were out side a great deal. Doubling around, as I remember it. With your penant, if you didn't screw things up too much.

The new mess that was built (late '80's?) was far superior. The food in St. Jean is excellent (as was Cornwallis), but wasting half your meal time in a line up and around the stairs does not seem to make much sense.

PT: what ever happened to a regular PT/Swimming program being part of basic? It's bloody deplorable now.

The Mess: now, I only got to the Green and Gold twice. There was not a lot there, as I remember it, but I sure appreciated the cold beer. With the amount of money pouring into the Mess at St. Jean, you would think they'd have some better stuff. (free pool, for one.).

Competition: What ever happened to sports days between the platoons?

Marching: Inside the basement? Honestly, what's up with that?

 

[Bzzliteyr]

I only made it to the Green and Gold once.. grad day (too young).  I went through Cornwallis in the winter of 93 and I found it to be "rougher" than it is in St.Jean(which I only ever visited once, as an instructor).  However, we only got to play on one or two of the obstacle course obstacles due to winter conditions.  We never lost any beds out windows, we had no other courses "in house" so we had the run of the base for awhile, not that that helped us at all.. all staff on base knew we were the only ones.  I remember having to complete the swim test, and jump off the diving board with combats (and webbing?).. is that still practiced?

The old practice was to scare students into being soldiers, now it more of a coach students into being soldiers.. which I find appealing, yet I notice it doesn't tend to filter out the weak until it is too late, and they get traumatized on their DP1.

All in all, I believe it's the instructors and their mentality that makes it good or bad, not the location.  My 2 cents.

Bzz

 

[Jungle]

Everything changes: BMQ is not TQ-2, IAP/ BOTP is not phase 1, DP-2 is not ISCC... and if Cornwallis was still open, it would have changed too. Get over it, everything changes.

 

[orange.paint]

I went through the st jean way and we did not have cleaners coming in during the morning.Looking back on it was it difficult?no. It was a good introduction to army life there was a lot of yelling ,push ups ,and a hell of a lot of double time around the mega.Does it compare to Cornwallis?Not in my mind.At least prior to the human rights bullshit.

Yep we did the military swim test too.Mind that was a few years back now and god knows how things have changed.(we use to call people by rank on battle school too,seems to not be too important anymore either)

 

[grayman]

Ah Cornwallis, loved it, entire Platoons in one room, living in an H hut, daily reamings......ah the memories of being called over the loudspeaker in the shacks...."Tim Horton to the office..NOW", running like hell to get to the Instructors office, which, I might add, was in the same building, to make coffee.  Not being allowed to walk on your waxed floor with your garrison boots on, thats a type of uniform we used to wear, for the younger readers.  Did I mention the waxed floors which we had to wax,  never saw a civy cleaner...EVER, walked past the pop machine everyday ensured it was properly dusted, dont remember ever being able to purchase a can of pop though.  Green and Gold...once on grad day, got a weekend off in Digby in CF short order I might add, never saw my civies......EVER.  V sits on the side of the pool with the PERI staff, only being allowed to wear issued PT gear, remember the Cornwallis cripplers. "Into sitting......CHANGE".  Marched everywhwere.  Give me a moment, I think I'm about to shed a tear. 
And now 13 years later full circle I'm the instructor, no swearing, no waxing floors, civy cleaners, allowed out in week 4, with civies, PSP, Ipods, cell phones you name it they get it, and instructors cant do anything about it.  Well here in Borden anyway, but that is a completely different post altogether, and boy there would be a lot of ranting and raving, but I digress, in my opinon, and only mine, Cornwallis was far superior, to St Jean, and Borden.  I was in the very last course of Cornwallis, no parade for us, the course before us got all the glory.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Shoulda tried going through in '71 ;D

 

[orange.paint]

when centurion was a rank? ;D

 

[Deleted member 6930]

I went through Cornwallis (shudder) in 1991.. the instuctors used to beat us on a regular basis.. and I heard that in St Jean.. there are cleaners who come in at night and get the building ready for inspection while the troops are running around camp in civies.. and heading to montreal for the evening..  ;D

I was at the Mega in St Jean. Grad Dec 04. I didn't see any cleaners in my room or area of responsibility. (they must have been on vacation the 10 weeks I was there. ;D) There was a duty platoon (each platoon took a week). They were to keep the mega's common areas clean. (cigarette butts picked up, stairs swept and mopped, hallways swept and mopped, etc)

As for troops running around in civies ... yep, after the work day was over and, you were allowed to wear civies inside the mega only; (not that you were allowed to leave the mega until the weekend) and on the weekends you could wear civies. The only other time you could wear "civies" was during PT classes ... usually for about 5 to 6 km run with the PT instructor or 3 Km with platoon staff in the mornings)

Montreal was something you may get to do on the weekend only. Provided that your platoon was "good" all week.

I find that when folks get talking about "the way it was"... the people who have gone before us always had it worse of that we did. We will be telling the next bunch of recruits how bad we had it too... just wait for it. :

Cheers

 

[Bzzliteyr]

So there is no more wearing of coveralls at night?  In Cornwallis (now that you make me think) as soon as our day was "done" we'd strip down and put on coveralls.. usually nothing on underneath if I remember correctly.. kind of prison like and then work on our station jobs, ironing, boot polishing...I had a blast....

 

[Matt_Fisher]

when centurion was a rank? ;D

No, when Centurion was a tank...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

No, when Centurion was a tank...

Yup, and mine was 51-81355. Some things you never forget OK, back on TRACK, as it were.

 

[deltaop]

from what i seen so far St. Jean is a cake walk compared to Cornwallis. good grief they have it way to easy. mind you i have not been to St. Jean so i really cant make a fair judgement. but from what i have seen its about right.