Valcartier (W/C J.H.L. (Joe) Lecomte) Heliport 2nd Canadian Division Support Base, Valcartier Base des Forces canadiennes Valcartier | |||||||||||
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 2 CDSB Valcartier | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Canada | ||||||||||
| Operator | DND | ||||||||||
| Location | Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier,Quebec | ||||||||||
| Built | 1914 | ||||||||||
| Commander | Colonel J.L.S. Ménard | ||||||||||
| 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″N071°30′13″W / 46.90278°N 71.50361°W /46.90278; -71.50361 | ||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  CYOY Location of CFB Valcartier in Quebec Show map of Quebec CYOY CYOY (Canada) Show map of Canada | |||||||||||
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Source:Canada Flight Supplement[1] | |||||||||||
2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), formerly known as and commonly referred to asCanadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), is aCanadian Forces base located in the municipality ofSaint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, 8nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north northwest[1] ofQuebec City,Quebec, Canada.[2][3][4] The2nd Canadian Division is stationed at the base,[5] comprising the5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group[6] and the 2nd Canadian Division Support Group.[7]
CFB Valcartier was originally erected as amilitary training camp in August 1914[8][9] as part of the mobilization of theCanadian Expeditionary Force at the onset of World War I.[10]
Inaugurated byJean Chrétien, thenPrime Minister of Canada, in 1995, a 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m) high bronze figure of a World War I soldier (1995) byAndré Gauthier at the entrance to CFB Valcartier commemorates the training of Canadian Army volunteers for the European battlefields in World War I.[11][12]
The site was also used as aninternment camp for "enemy aliens", mainlyeastern Europeans.[13] The name Valcartier comes from the town ofSaint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier,[14] of which a large section was expropriated in order to create the military training camp. Due to its proximity to thePort of Quebec, Valcartier became the largest military camp on Canadian soil, including some 32,000 men, 8,000 horses, and one black bear[15][16]
In 1968, after theunification of the Canadian Armed Forces, the title5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was assigned to the brigade group established in CFB Valcartier.[17]
The base is 12 by 24 km (7.5 by 14.9 mi)[18] and is located in theQuebec City region, ofQuebec, Canada.[2]
Currently, Valcartier is home to the2nd Canadian Division. The division has two formations:2nd Canadian Division Support Group (2 CDSG) and5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG).[5]
The following units are stationed at Valcartier. Included are affiliated units and other units that are not directly part of 2nd Canadian Division:[6][18]
The base also houses430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron,[20] CI SQFT[21] (Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre), in addition to providing training facilities for most Quebec-based reserve units. TheMyriam BédardBiathlon Training Centre is also located on the base.[22]
CFB Valcartier is also home to aDefence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) location, which conducts military research for theCanadian Armed Forces.[23]
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2 CDSB Valcartier is also the home of the Army Cadet Summer Training Centre Valcartier, which trainsRoyal Canadian Sea Cadets,Royal Canadian Army Cadets andRoyal Canadian Air Cadets of theEastern Region / Province of Quebec.[24]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.[25][26]
The various summer training courses offered at Valcartier Cadet Training Centre are the following:
Colonel J.L.S. Ménard is commander, and Chief Warrant Officer Éric Normand is sergeant major.[5]
In 2014, CFB Valcartier celebrated its 100th anniversary.David Johnston, thenGovernor General of Canada, offered a message about the role the base and its soldiers who have played in the history of Canada. Prime ministerStephen Harper also thanked the soldiers.[8][27][28]
Adsum is a monthly newspaper 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 theMilitary Community Guidebook - Quebec Region annually.[29][30]
TheMilitary Ordinariate of Canada integrated a chapel which is situated at CFB Valcartier.[31] The chapel is namedSaint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel.[32] This service is for all military persons of CFB Valcartier.[33] The Chapel Life Coordinator is CaptainTitus Ndala.[32]
CFB Valcartier Military Cemetery, opened to serve the camp in 1914, contains the graves of nine Canadian Army personnel, six from World War I and three from World War II, registered and maintained by theCommonwealth War Graves Commission.[34]
In 1997, a cancer-causing chemical,trichloroethylene, was found in the water supply of CFB Valcartier and the nearby town ofShannon, Quebec. Trichloroethylene, which has been linked toliver cancer, was used for degreasing metal parts at the base for decades. The Shannon Citizens Committee (Regroupement des Citoyens de Shannon) launched a class-action lawsuit against the Department of National Defence in 2003.[37][38][39][40]
Media related toCFB Valcartier at Wikimedia Commons
