CFB Valcartier

Valcartier (W/C J.H.L. (Joe) Lecomte) Heliport 2nd Canadian Division Support Base, Valcartier Base des Forces canadiennes Valcartier
2 CDSB Valcartier
IATA: none ICAO: CYOY
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Government of Canada
Operator	DND
Location	Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec
Built	1914
Commander	Colonel Sébastien Bouchard
Occupants	2nd Canadian Division
Time zone	EST (UTC−05:00)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL	550 ft / 168 m
Coordinates	46°54′10″N 071°30′13″W / 46.90278°N 71.50361°W / 46.90278; -71.50361Coordinates: 46°54′10″N 071°30′13″W / 46.90278°N 71.50361°W / 46.90278; -71.50361
Website	http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/cfb-valcartier/index.page
Map
CYOY Location of CFB Valcartier in Quebec Show map of Quebec CYOY CYOY (Canada) Show map of Canada
Helipads
Number Length Surface ft m 1 150 46 n/a
Source: Canada Flight Supplement[1]

Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), now re-designated 2 Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi)^[1] north northwest of Quebec City.^[2][3] It is home to 2nd Canadian Division^[4] who is composed of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group^[5] and 2nd Canadian Division Support Group.^[6]

CFB Valcartier is in Capitale-Nationale region.

Origins

CFB Valcartier was originally erected as a military training camp in August 1914^[7] as part of the mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the onset of World War I.^[8] Inaugurated by the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1995 a 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) high bronze figure of a World War I soldier (1995) by André Gauthier at the entrance to CFB Valcartier commemorates the training of Canadian Army volunteers for the European battlefields in World War I.^[9][10]

"Le chez nous du soldat" – a soldiers' canteen in 1918

The site was also used as an internment camp for "enemy aliens", mainly eastern Europeans.^[11] The name Valcartier comes from the town of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier^[12], of which a large section was expropriated in order to create the military training camp. Due to its proximity to the Port of Quebec, Valcartier became the largest military camp on Canadian soil, including some 32,000 men and 8,000 horses.^[13]

In 1968, after the unification of the Canadian Forces, the title 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was assigned to the brigade group established in CFB Valcartier.^[14]

Geography

The base is 12 by 24 km (7.5 by 14.9 mi)^[15] and is located in Quebec, Canada.^[16][17] A total of 7,400 people work of the base : 6200 military and 1200 civils.^[18][19]

A map of the base

Military presence

Currently, Valcartier Garrison is home to 2nd Canadian Division. The division has two formations: 2nd Canadian Division Support Group (2 Cdn Div SG) and 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG).^[20]

The following units are stationed at Valcartier (In this units, we find affiliated units and other units who are not directly in the officials terms of the 2nd Canadian Division)^[21][22] :

• Headquarters and Signals Squadron (Quartier général et escadron de transmissions)^[23]
• 5^e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada^[24]
• 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada (12 RBC)^[25]
• 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5^e Régiment du génie de combat)^[26]
• 1st Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment^[27]
• 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment^[28]
• 3rd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment^[29]
• 5 Service Battalion (5^e Bataillon des services du Canada) - (which also provides services from ASU Saint-Jean and CFB Montreal)^[30]
• 5 Military Police Platoon (5^e Peloton de police militaire)^[31]
• 5 Field Ambulance (5^e Ambulance de campagne)^[32]
• 1 Dental Unit, Detachment of Valcartier^[33]

The base also houses 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron^[34], CI SQFT^[35] (Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre), in addition to providing training facilities for most Quebec-based reserve units. The Myriam Bédard Biathlon Training Centre^[36] is also located on the base.^[37]

CFB Valcartier is also home to a Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)^[38] location, which conducts military research for the Canadian Forces.

• 
  Postcard of tents hastily erected to accommodate thousands of troops during the First World War
• 
  Governor General and Prime Minister inspecting troops, 1940
• 
  12^e Régiment blindé du Canada
• 
  430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
• 
  Military Ordinariate of Canada

Cadets

ASU Valcartier is also the home of the Army Cadet Summer Training Centre Valcartier, which trains Royal Canadian Army Cadets of the Eastern Region / Province of Quebec.^[39]

In July 1974, an explosives safety training accident involving "D" Company killed six cadets and injured over 50. A coroner's inquiry found the instructor criminally responsible.^[40][41]

Royal Canadian Army Cadets

CFB Valcartier newspapers

Adsum is a bi-monthly newspaper (22 copy / year) for CFB Valcartier and the military community in the Quebec eastern area. The newspaper was created in 1972. It publishes 4,200 copies. The readers of the newspaper are mostly the military (active and retired) and civilians working at CFB Valcartier. The newspaper team also publishes the Military Community Guidebook - Quebec Region annually.^[42][43]

Saint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel

The Military Ordinariate of Canada integrated a chapel which is situated at CFB Valcartier.^[44] The chapel is named Saint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel.^[45] This service is for all military persons of CFB Valcartier.^[46] The Chapel Life Coordinator is Captain Titus Ndala.^[47][48]

Economical facts

• CFB Valcartier spend annually 687 413 000$^[49]
• CFB Valcartier create 7,418 jobs annually^[50]
• CFB Valcartier spend 450 millions dollars a year in salary^[51]

Contaminated water

In 1997, a cancer-causing chemical, trichloroethylene, was found in the water supply of CFB Valcartier and the nearby town of Shannon, Quebec.^[52] Trichloroethylene, which has been linked to liver cancer, was used for degreasing metal parts at the base for decades. The Shannon Citizens Committee (Regroupement des Citoyens de Shannon) has launched a class-action lawsuit against the Department of National Defence in 2003.^{[53][54][55][56]}

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CFB Valcartier.

• CFB Valcartier Adsum, official newspaper — CFB Valcartier
• CFB Valcartier geolocation
• Canada government CFB Valcartier Official site