2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), formerly known as and commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, north northwest of

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada.Base militaire Valcartier
/ref> The 2nd Canadian Division is stationed at the base, comprising the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and the 2nd Canadian Division Support Group.

Origins

CFB Valcartier was originally erected as a military training camp in August 1914The Valcartier tour de force
/ref> as part of the mobilization of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

at the onset of World War I. Inaugurated by

Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, leader of t ...

, then

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...

, in 1995, a 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. The site was also used as an

internment camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

for "enemy aliens", mainly

eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

ans. The name Valcartier comes from the town of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, 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, 8,000 horses, and one black bear In 1968, after the

unification of the Canadian Armed Forces The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces. History A white paper was tabled in the Parliame ...

, the title 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was assigned to the brigade group established in CFB Valcartier.

Geography

The base is Guide de la communauté militair e militaire Military Community Guidebook
/ref> and is located in the

region, of

, Canada.

Military presence

Currently, Valcartier is home to the 2nd Canadian Division. The division has two formations: 2nd Canadian Division Support Group (2 CDSG) and 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG). The following units are stationed at Valcartier. Included are affiliated units and other units that are not directly part of 2nd Canadian Division: *Units ** 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada (5 RALC) ** 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada (12 RBC) ** 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5^e Régiment du génie de combat) (5 RGC) **5 CMBG Headquarters and signals squadron ( Quartier-général et escadron des transmissions ) **1st Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment **2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment **3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment ** 5 Service Battalion (5^e Bataillon des services du Canada) (which also provides services from ASU Saint-Jean and

CFB Montreal 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, Detachment Montreal, formerly known as and commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Montreal (also CFB Montreal or Longue-Pointe) is a Canadian Forces base, Canadian Forces Base network located in ...

) *Affiliated units **5 Field Ambulance (5^e Ambulance de campagne) **5

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

Platoon (5^e Peloton de police militaire) ** 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron **1 Dental Unit Detachment, Valcartier **Naval Fleet School (Quebec) The base also houses 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, CI SQFT (Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre), in addition to providing training facilities for most Quebec-based reserve units. The Myriam Bédard

Biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

Training Centre is also located on the base. CFB Valcartier is also home to a Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) location, which conducts military research for the

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

. File:Le chez-nous du soldat.jpg, Canteen named "Le chez nous du soldat", 1918 File:Valcartier - Section of the Camp.JPG, Postcard of tents hastily erected to accommodate thousands of troops during 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 ...

File:Vaccination at Valcartier Camp, Quebec, Canada, WWI (29569636885).jpg, Vaccination of soldier during WWI File: Comte d'Athlone et William Lyon Mackenzie King passant les soldats en revue.jpg,

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George; born Prince Alexander of Teck; 14 April 1874 – 16 January 1957), was a member of the extended British royal family, as a great-grandson of King Georg ...

, and

, William Lyon Mackenzie King, inspecting troops, 1940

Cadets

2 CDSB Valcartier is also the home of the Army Cadet Summer Training Centre Valcartier, which trains Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets and Royal Canadian Air Cadets of the Eastern Region / Province of Quebec. 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. The various summer training courses offered at Valcartier Cadet Training Centre are the following: * Two Week General Training Course offered to Army Cadets only, within JACQUES-CARTIER Company; * Basic Fitness and Sports course offered to Sea, Army and Air cadets, within OLYMPUS Company; * Fitness and Sports Instructor course offered to Sea, Army and Air cadets, within OLYMPUS Company; * Basic Expedition course offered only to Army cadets, within EVEREST Company; * Expedition Instructor course offered only to Army cadets, within EVEREST Company; * Basic Marksmanship Course offered only to Army cadets, within ENFIELD Company; * Air Rifle Masksmanship Instructor Course offered to Sea, Army and Air cadets within ENFIELD Company; * Basic Drill and Ceremonial Course offered to Sea, Army and Air cadets within TRIUMPH Company; * Drill and Ceremonial Instructor Course offered to Sea, Army and Air cadets within TRIUMPH Company; * And all three military musician courses, offered to Sea, Army and Air Cadets within CALIXA-LAVALLÉE Company.

Command team

Colonel J.L.S. Ménard is commander, and Chief Warrant Officer Éric Normand is sergeant major.

100th anniversary

In 2014, CFB Valcartier celebrated its 100th anniversary. David Johnston, then

, offered a message about the role the base and its soldiers who have played in the history of Canada. Prime minister Stephen Harper also thanked the soldiers.

CFB Valcartier newspaper

''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 the ''Military Community Guidebook - Quebec Region'' annually.

Saint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel

The Military Ordinariate of Canada integrated a chapel which is situated at CFB Valcartier. The chapel is named Saint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel.Saint Jeanne d’Arc Chapel (Valcartier)
/ref> This service is for all military persons of CFB Valcartier. The Chapel Life Coordinator is Captain Titus Ndala.

Military Cemetery

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 the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

Economic facts

*CFB Valcartier's budget is $687.4 million annually. The base employs 7,700 people (6,200 military and 1,500 civilians). There are also 9,000 military reserve forces who are related to the base. Annually, the salary costs are $558 million. This sum represents half of the $1.2 billion spent on salaries by the Department of National Defence in Quebec each year. Also, the base spends $131 million locally each year.

Contaminated water

In 1997, a cancer-causing chemical,

trichloroethylene Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an organochloride with the formula C2HCl3, commonly used as an industrial metal-degreasing solvent. It is a clear, colourless, non-flammable, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like pleasant mild smell and sweet taste.

, was found in the water supply of CFB Valcartier and the nearby town of Shannon, Quebec. Trichloroethylene, which has been linked to

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

, 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.Residents say Canadian Forces to blame for 'cancer crisis'
/ref>

References

External links

Canada government CFB Valcartier
official site
CFB Valcartier
''Adsum'', official newspaper – CFB Valcartier {{DEFAULTSORT:Valcartier Canadian Forces bases in Quebec Heliports in Canada Buildings and structures in Capitale-Nationale Transport in Capitale-Nationale Military airbases in Quebec 1914 establishments in Quebec Internment camps in Canada Royal 22nd Regiment