Where has Canada's Military Gone?

[Colin Parkinson]

You also forgot Yorke Island which has substantial fortifications on it, as well as a small bunker on the NW side of Haki Pass, and of course Prince Rupert has the two forts, ammo bunkers in doughboy bay and foundations for the radar on the hill above town. Metakelta also has a small Cannonade lying in the grass in front of the band office. During my Jr leaders crse in Vernon we came across 2 Skink turrets lying on the old range, which I understand where taken away.

I believe the radar sites you are referring to our part of the Pinetree line and not the DEW line. I remember the bunker in Nanimno all to well, you should try to find new parts for 1950 coffee makers and kitchen equipment.

Vancouver Defended by Peter Mokie is the book that you are talking about,

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The hostel in Jerchio was the Sgt's quarters during the war, Kits CCG base was the RCAF Air-Sea rescue station, the large building nearby is "Bldg 14" all that is left of the large military accomadations that where there.

 

[3rd Herd]

ColinP
try: Jericho Beach by Chris Weicht, published 1997. He lists all west coast air stations, coast watcher det 1 and some interesting tidbits. But having just taken a look at the book none of his information is cited. For me though he does give clues as to where I can find cited information.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There is a guy that found one of the mooring buoys from the seaplanes in Uceluet Harbour, he plans to salvage and restore it. Shearwater I think still has one hanger standing and part of the ramp.

 

[Neill McKay]

There is a guy that found one of the mooring buoys from the seaplanes in Uceluet Harbour, he plans to salvage and restore it. Shearwater I think still has one hanger standing and part of the ramp.

There's a railway system partly intact at Searwater.  It looks as if it went from one of the hangars on the lower base (the smaller one, nearer the FDU building) to a turntable, then off in several directions from there.  The concrete footing for one rail now forms a curb along the street that leads into the sea cadet sail centre, and goes just about to the shore.  I assume that was some kind of seaplane handling system.

 

[Reccesoldier]

There's a railway system partly intact at Searwater.  It looks as if it went from one of the hangars on the lower base (the smaller one, nearer the FDU building) to a turntable, then off in several directions from there.  The concrete footing for one rail now forms a curb along the street that leads into the sea cadet sail centre, and goes just about to the shore.  I assume that was some kind of seaplane handling system.

Do you mean down by the CFSA and the concrete dock?

 

[3rd Herd]

There is a guy that found one of the mooring buoys from the seaplanes in Uceluet Harbour, he plans to salvage and restore it. Shearwater I think still has one hanger standing and part of the ramp.

There are several of the seaplane mooring buoys around. I found two with the daughter canoeing around the back inner side of the harbour two years ago. They were blown up onto the shore line by one of the storms which fed directly into the harbour. This type of storm does not happen too often but when it does it makes for a very good day after of beach combing. There are a couple more around town sitting on lawns as "ornaments". Along with an assortment of paravans from the mine sweepers, long range drop tanks, practice bombs and torps. There is also a PBY that crashed into a bog that is still there. The trail to it is not to difficult but the trail head is not quite public information. Further every once and a while a "horned scully" arrives courtesy of mother nature and ocean currents.

 

[Neill McKay]

Do you mean down by the CFSA and the concrete dock?

If you were to drive into the lower base and stay on that road, you pass the hangar on your right; the sea cadet sail centre is the cluster of trailers to the left, extending most of the way to the water.  The left curb of that road is one side of the rail system, pointing straight to the water.  (The foundation of the turntable is in the open space straight across the street from the hangar.)  The road continues away from it to the right towards the sail centre floats.  I'm not sure what facility the CFSA uses, but i wouldn't be surprised if it's the same set of floats.

 

[RangerRay]

In Kamloops, in the vicinity of J.R. Vicars Armoury and Thompson Rivers University are several RCN munitions bunkers scattered over the landscape.  On the TRU campus, there are several naval officer's quarters houses that are now used as offices and classrooms.

All along the Alaska Highway, you can find evidence of army camps and abandoned equipment.  In Dawson Creek, there are some old hangars at the airport, and the highway control station is still standing on the north edge of town, although it's seen better days.  Fort St. John and Fort Nelson has several PMQ-type houses from the war scattered around town.

 

[wartide]

Since when is CFB Gander closed?  There's not as many people there now as there used to be... But it's still operational...  My dad works there with 103 SAR

 

[armyvern]

Since when is CFB Gander closed?   There's not as many people there now as there used to be... But it's still operational...  My dad works there with 103 SAR

It's not closed. Binrat55 from this site is also posted there as per his profile.

 

[Gunnerlove]

I hunt all over Southern Vancouver Island and there are tons of old military structures and aircraft wrecks in the bush. A few years ago I found (literally) hundreds of of air crew survival ration tins 25KM+- East of Port Renfrew. It was an hours walk from the nearest track and just sitting there in a mound of goldish cans. 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

It's not closed. Binrat55 from this site is also posted there as per his profile.

But the rumor mill has it that they want to close it and move all resources to St. John's. Hmmm.... I wonder if that means my unit would "aquire" the air field engineers....

 

[aesop081]

But the rumor mill has it that they want to close it and move all resources to St. John's. Hmmm.... I wonder if that means my unit would "aquire" the air field engineers....

the AEFs dont belong to the army. Unless AIRCOM is willing to transfer those people to LFC, i dont see your unit "aquiring" them.

of course, this is only my highly-taxed $0.02

 

[rmacqueen]

I hunt all over Southern Vancouver Island and there are tons of old military structures and aircraft wrecks in the bush. A few years ago I found (literally) hundreds of of air crew survival ration tins 25KM+- East of Port Renfrew. It was an hours walk from the nearest track and just sitting there in a mound of goldish cans. 

Probably still edible too

 

[3rd Herd]

I hunt all over Southern Vancouver Island and there are tons of old military structures and aircraft wrecks in the bush. A few years ago I found (literally) hundreds of of air crew survival ration tins 25KM+- East of Port Renfrew. It was an hours walk from the nearest track and just sitting there in a mound of goldish cans. 

You will most likely find other more interesting objects "of war" in that area. We were not as environmentally friendly battling the Fantasians in their attempts to invade the peaceful Democratic community of Jordan River back then. I would hazard a guess your food find maybe some of the old C-rats in actuality. There also maybe a deuce and a half or two that decided to stay, and bofars AA guns(these before even my time).

 

[SprCForr]

The old BOMAC base is spooky, just sitting ther in the bush.  Should be a heritage site, but what do I know.....

Would that be the same place as in the link?

http://www.pinetreeline.org/misc/bomarc/bomarc1.html

 

[Maclimius]

On a positive note, the British Columbia Dragoons reopened an armouries in Penticton almost 2 years ago. We still have our armouries in Kelowna and Vernon as well although none of them are adequate for our current role (read: too small).

As far as Training areas, there used to be the tank barns and various other barracks and administrative buildings on the Upper portion of the Vernon Army Cadet Camp. These are mostly all gone now. The main training area is still open however the new templates for the small arms range does not allow for 5.56 or 7.62mm ammunition. Apparently on a map, the template covers now habitted areas even though there's a huge mountain in between. Most of the remainder of the training area is split up due to endangered plants and whatnot as well as environmental studies.

There also used to be a tank range north-west of Vernon that is now native land. Apparently UXO is still showing up there. There is also constant rumours about a few Shermans buried there.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

On a positive note, the British Columbia Dragoons reopened an armouries in Penticton almost 2 years ago. We still have our armouries in Kelowna and Vernon as well although none of them are adequate for our current role (read: too small).

As far as Training areas, there used to be the tank barns and various other barracks and administrative buildings on the Upper portion of the Vernon Army Cadet Camp. These are mostly all gone now. The main training area is still open however the new templates for the small arms range does not allow for 5.56 or 7.62mm ammunition. Apparently on a map, the template covers now habitted areas even though there's a huge mountain in between. Most of the remainder of the training area is split up due to endangered plants and whatnot as well as environmental studies.

There also used to be a tank range north-west of Vernon that is now native land. Apparently UXO is still showing up there. There is also constant rumours about a few Shermans buried there.

Did we re-open an old building or build a new one?

 

[Loachman]

I was on a flight from Lethbridge to Calgary and on the way I looked down and saw a diamond runway in disrepair and old run-down military buildings and a hangar beside it. There was a gravel road leading to it, but it was off the beaten path.

That could well be Vulcan, another BCATP airfield. The townspeople could not understand why so many complete strangers would drive up and have their photos taken in front of the welcome sign and then drive away, until they finally asked. Now there's a Star Trek-related tourist spot in town.