CFB Griesbach (Griesbach Barracks) was an

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

base that was located in the north end of

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Canada. The site was named after Major-General William Antrobus Griesbach (1878–1945), a veteran of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

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. Griesbach was also an Edmonton alderman and mayor, and served as a Member of Parliament and a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

History

The base was established in 1950 as Griesbach Barracks. In 1958, No. 14 Service Prison and Detention Barracks opened at the base and the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was relocated to Griesbach from Currie Barracks in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, Alberta. On 1 April 1966 Griesbach Barracks and RCAF Station Namao were designated CFB Edmonton. In 1970 the Canadian Parachute Training Center was moved to CFB Greisbach from RCAF Station Rivers,

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and the First Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was relocated to Griesbach from Work Point Barracks in

Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt () is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Jua ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. The site is no longer administered by the Department of National Defence, but was transferred to the Canada Lands Company in 2001 for $17.5 million, considered fair market value at the time. Former lodger units located here included the Canadian Airborne Centre and the Canadian Forces Parachute Maintenance Depot, both of which were moved to CFB Trenton in the mid 1990s, as plans to close the runway at Namao ( CFB Edmonton) accelerated. Much of the former Griesbach Barracks site underwent major redevelopment, with the entire fully re-developed in 2018. Part of the land was purchased from Canada Lands in 2003 by the Capital Care Group, and is now used as a long-term care centre - the Kipnes Centre for Veterans, which was opened in November 2005.

References

Bruce Forsyth's Canadian Military History Page - Canadian Forces Base Edmonton (Griesbach Barracks)
Retrieved: 2018-11-30

External sources

DND Site for CFB Edmonton
Canadian Forces bases in Alberta History of Edmonton Former Canadian Forces bases in Canada 1950 establishments in Alberta 2002 disestablishments in Alberta Military history of Alberta {{Canada-mil-hist-stub

History

See also

References

External sources