Jericho Garrison in Vancouver, BC

[ReadyAyeReady]

I was wondering if anyone knows much about the Jericho Garrison in Van.  As I've lived in Vancouver most of my life and I grew up here I have passed by the compound many times but have never really wondered much about it.  Now that I am going down there this thursday to visit a local reserve unit my interest in it has been sparked.  What's the history behind it and what is it like in there?  I can't find any info on the net about it at all.

I also had another question about it.  As I was passing by there the other day with my buddy (we went to check it out...from the outside anyway) we started talking about how the garrison is sitting on some pretty prime real estate.  Its right in a very posh area of vancouver down there.  My question is (and forgive me if it seems stupid) is why the heck doesn't the CF, which owns this massive chunk of primo real estate in vancouver, sell the land, make a kiiling, build a new base on cheaper land further out of the city and maybe make a decent profit...I know it would take a while to do something like that, but if the CF is strapped for cash like they always say they are, then why not look at creative ways of making some cash...the land they occupy in Jericho is worth a fortune...

Anyway, just a thought.

 

[Blakey]

Jericho Garrison, former RCAF base
Jericho Beach, West 4th Avenue, Vancouver

The area from Trimble Street to Highbury Street and 8th Avenue has a distinguished military heritage. The federal government gained the property first in 1920 for the purpose of establishing a sea-plane base. The early base was tiny, given the post-World War One refusal to spend money on the military. But in 1924 the base was expanded to provide hangars, offices, barracks and headquarters to the young RCAF. The RCAF presence on the coast was increasingly seen to be useful as the planes of Jericho Beach performed many functions on the Pacific coast, such as smuggling, narcotics and fisheries patrols, as well as vital surveying work.

World War Two brought a massive increase to the Jericho Beach naval air station. Even before the war, in 1937, Jericho had been established as the control point of all western flying operations. Fears of Japanese invasion prompted the construction of many satellite stations with Jericho Beach providing the main base and headquarters for all Pacific bases. Existing buildings such as the Jericho Golf Club clubhouse were pressed into military service, in this case as the joint headquarters for the army, navy and air force. The building housing the BC School for the Deaf and Blind was used as an air force barracks for personnel serving at Jericho Beach. The impressive Aberthau building on 4397 West 2nd Avenue became the officers' mess of the base. In 1941, many buildings were constructed to house and administer the base. The base was also expanded across 4th Avenue between Camosun and Highbury streets to contain the Joint Services Headquarters, responsible for coordination between army, navy and air force in British Columbia.

After the war in 1947, Jericho Beach was made a permanent military installation and the headquarters of the army in BC. While all of the territory north of 4th Avenue was returned to the city of Vancouver when the base closed around 1976, several buildings have survived destruction, such as the enlisted men's barracks, which is now a youth hostel, the old base recreation hall used as the Jericho Arts Centre and the officers' mess, now the West Point Grey Community Centre. The administration building at 4050 West 4th is the Headquarters of the 39th Canadian Brigade Group which administers all the reserve units in B.C.and is also the home of the 12th Field Ambulance and the 744 Communications Regiment. South of 4th Avenue there remains a small base with a support component and housing for the 12th Medical Company. The base consists of a 1941 office building, several small wartime service buildings and sixty-six domestic quarters. For those granted admission to the base, of particular note is the 12th Medical Company Museum.

http://www.heritagebc.ca/military.htm

 

[combat_medic]

why the heck doesn't the CF, which owns this massive chunk of primo real estate in vancouver, sell the land, make a kiiling, build a new base on cheaper land further out of the city and maybe make a decent profit?

Watch and shoot on this one... it's in the works, more or less.

Furthermore, while the Jericho land is pretty valuable, so is Deadman's Island in Stanley Park in which HMCS Discovery is currently situated, and the Beatty Street Armoury where the BCRs are. Besides, eventually the land in Delta, PoCo, and Surrey will be equally valuable, but we do need to hang on to some land, and many of these buildings are historical landmarks.

 

[beach_bum]

When DND property is sold off, it becomes Crown Lands.  Do you think that the money comes back to DND?  No.  It doesn't.  It goes into the great big government pot.  So, regardless of what is sold, or when....it doesn't really matter.  That land does not turn into bullets or uniforms etc.

 

[Cloud Cover]

So, regardless of what is sold, or when....it doesn't really matter.  That land does not turn into bullets or uniforms etc.

Well, thank goodness for that, you people would probably just issue the uniforms and shoot the bullets anyway. :