CFB Calgary
Encyclopedia
Canadian Forces Base Calgary, also CFB Calgary, was a Canadian Forces Base
located in Calgary, Alberta.
valley. The facility was named after the recently deceased General Sir Arthur William Currie
, commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
on the Western Front
during World War I
.
Over the next decade, the facility would house a combination of personnel from the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
and Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
, along with personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF).
During World War II
, the Currie Barracks became an army training centre for units mobilized in southern Alberta; it was designated A-16. These mobilized units were tasked to provide reinforcements for The Calgary Highlanders
and The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
.
Following the war in 1946, the Currie Barracks became home to Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
and 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
as part of Canada's transition to having an expanded regular force army during the early years of the Cold War
. The Currie Barracks underwent rapid expansion during the Korean War
as the facility transformed into a major military centre, owing to its convenient access to the Canadian Pacific Railway
's transcontinental mainline to Vancouver
three kilometres to the north. Headquarters Calgary Garrison was formed on October 26, 1950 in response to the need to coordinate the administration of army units stationed at and cycling through the Currie Barracks; thus the facility also began to use the names Calgary Garrison and Calgary Barracks.
of the Royal Canadian Navy
, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force
to form the Canadian Forces
on February 1, 1968, precipitated a number of major changes to Canada's military. As a result, the Currie Barracks were redesignated Canadian Forces Base Calgary (CFB Calgary) on March 14, 1966.
As a former Canadian Army facility, the newly designated CFB Calgary fell under Mobile Command
, the new command for Canada's land forces. Camp Wainwright
at Denwood, Alberta, became a satellite auxiliary training camp under the jurisdiction of CFB Calgary on January 1, 1967, however the facility became a separately controlled base (CFB Wainwright) on August 1 of that year.
CFB Calgary was reorganized by Mobile Command on February 20, 1969, when 1 Combat Group was combined with the base itself; both the base and 1 Combat Group reported to a single commander. The base was tasked with providing administrative and support services to units posted to it in support of 1 Combat Group operations.
Initial lodger units at CFB Calgary included:
The force structure evolved as the 1st Fort Garry Horse was disbanded in 1970 as the regiment reverted to reserve status. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
and the 1 Military Police Platoon along with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
were garrisoned at CFB Calgary beginning in the 1970s.
In September 1991, the 1 Canadian Brigade Group and CFB Calgary became independent of each other under separate commands and reported to Land Force Western Area
.
at Namao, Alberta
.
The base closure offered a rare opportunity for Calgary to experience a comprehensive redevelopment and land use planning strategy for a large continuous property. Family residential areas within the base, known as the Currie PMQs (or private married quarters) and located east of Crowchild Trail
, were redeveloped under the aegis of the Canada Lands Company
as the new community of Garrison Woods. The redevelopment included the razing of some older or less marketable houses (including semi-detached
houses), the upgrading and relocation
of other houses, and the construction of single-family houses, townhouse
s, and condominium
complexes. Some commercial buildings (including a Canada Safeway
) have also been built in the northwest corner of the former PMQ lands. The redevelopment of Garrison Woods won numerous awards from the residential development community, including the Honour Award for Planning Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners
and the Grand SAM Award from the Canadian Home Builders Association. An article in Macleans Magazine reported that a large number of houses were first purchased by single women.
Redevelopment of the areas west of Crowchild Trail, including military facilities, a parade ground, and single-person residential housing, began at the same time. Planning for the disposition of the land and its facilities took longer to plan out, and in the meantime warehouses and hangars were converted into offices, theatrical rehearsal spaces, and several buildings were used as studios by movie and television production companies for shows such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
and other projects. In 2004, the base lands hosted the touring company of Cirque du Soleil
. It is currently home to Wild Rose Brewery
.
Clear Water Academy
, a private Catholic school, was established on the former CFB Calgary property and occupied three historic buildings along Dieppe Avenue. The Calgary Farmer's Market is also located west of Crowchild Trail, in an airplane hangar located on former RCAF
lands.
The Military Museums
(formerly known as the Museum of the Regiments) is located east of Crowchild Trail in Garrison Woods.
Current plans call for most of the base to be zoned for residential use as part of the Lincoln Park neighbourhood.
Canadian Forces base
A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...
located in Calgary, Alberta.
Currie Barracks
The Canadian Army opened what was called the Currie Barracks on the southwestern edge of Calgary in 1933, occupying a property on the level plateau above the south slope of the Bow RiverBow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
valley. The facility was named after the recently deceased General Sir Arthur William Currie
Arthur Currie
Sir Arthur William Currie GCMG, KCB , was a Canadian general during World War I. He had the unique distinction of starting his military career on the very bottom rung as a pre-war militia gunner before rising through the ranks to become the first Canadian commander of the four divisions of the...
, commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Over the next decade, the facility would house a combination of personnel from the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
The Infantry Branch is the organisation to which all Canadian infantry regiments belong. This was originally named "Canadian Infantry Corps"....
and Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
For successor see Logistics BranchThe Royal Canadian Army Service Corps was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army....
, along with personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Currie Barracks became an army training centre for units mobilized in southern Alberta; it was designated A-16. These mobilized units were tasked to provide reinforcements for The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Forces Land Force Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
and The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a light infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group, Land Forces Western Area...
.
Following the war in 1946, the Currie Barracks became home to Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
and 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
as part of Canada's transition to having an expanded regular force army during the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. The Currie Barracks underwent rapid expansion during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
as the facility transformed into a major military centre, owing to its convenient access to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's transcontinental mainline to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
three kilometres to the north. Headquarters Calgary Garrison was formed on October 26, 1950 in response to the need to coordinate the administration of army units stationed at and cycling through the Currie Barracks; thus the facility also began to use the names Calgary Garrison and Calgary Barracks.
CFB Calgary
The pending unificationUnification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
of the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
to form the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
on February 1, 1968, precipitated a number of major changes to Canada's military. As a result, the Currie Barracks were redesignated Canadian Forces Base Calgary (CFB Calgary) on March 14, 1966.
As a former Canadian Army facility, the newly designated CFB Calgary fell under Mobile Command
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
, the new command for Canada's land forces. Camp Wainwright
CFB Wainwright
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, commonly referred to as CFB Wainwright is a Canadian Forces Base located in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright.-Military Camp Wainwright:...
at Denwood, Alberta, became a satellite auxiliary training camp under the jurisdiction of CFB Calgary on January 1, 1967, however the facility became a separately controlled base (CFB Wainwright) on August 1 of that year.
CFB Calgary was reorganized by Mobile Command on February 20, 1969, when 1 Combat Group was combined with the base itself; both the base and 1 Combat Group reported to a single commander. The base was tasked with providing administrative and support services to units posted to it in support of 1 Combat Group operations.
Initial lodger units at CFB Calgary included:
- Headquarters, 1 Combat Group
- 1st Fort Garry Horse
- 1 Signal Squadron
- 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Band
- Headquarters, 7 Tactical Air Unit (TAU)
- 1 Service Battalion (The base was officially closed by the 1 Svc Bn Operations Officer Captain Stewart Campbell CD (Ret'd))
The force structure evolved as the 1st Fort Garry Horse was disbanded in 1970 as the regiment reverted to reserve status. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
and the 1 Military Police Platoon along with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
were garrisoned at CFB Calgary beginning in the 1970s.
In September 1991, the 1 Canadian Brigade Group and CFB Calgary became independent of each other under separate commands and reported to Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area is one of four operational commands of the Canadian Army. LFWA is responsible for all Canadian Army administration and operations in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay, Ontario...
.
Closure
It was announced in the 1996 federal budget that CFB Calgary would be closed in 1998 as part of a policy to close various Canadian Forces bases to consolidate units into fewer facilities. In 1998, CFB Calgary was officially decommissioned, with most of its personnel relocated to CFB EdmontonCFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
at Namao, Alberta
Namao, Alberta
Namao is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within Sturgeon County. It is located at the intersection of Highway 37 and Highway 28, approximately north of Edmonton's city limits...
.
The base closure offered a rare opportunity for Calgary to experience a comprehensive redevelopment and land use planning strategy for a large continuous property. Family residential areas within the base, known as the Currie PMQs (or private married quarters) and located east of Crowchild Trail
Crowchild Trail
Crowchild Trail is an expressway located on the west side of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.The road was originally signed as 24th Street SW from North Glenmore Park to the Bow River, 24th Street NW from the Bow to the intersection with 16th Avenue NW , and Highway 1A from 16th Ave NW to the city limits...
, were redeveloped under the aegis of the Canada Lands Company
Canada Lands Company
Canada Lands Company Limited is an arms length, self-financing Crown corporation reporting to Parliament through the Honourable John Baird, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons...
as the new community of Garrison Woods. The redevelopment included the razing of some older or less marketable houses (including semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
houses), the upgrading and relocation
Structure relocation
A structure relocation is the process of moving a structure from one location to another. There are two main ways for a structure to be moved: disassembling and then reassembling it at the required destination, or transporting it whole. For the latter, the building may be pushed on temporary rails...
of other houses, and the construction of single-family houses, townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s, and condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
complexes. Some commercial buildings (including a Canada Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
) have also been built in the northwest corner of the former PMQ lands. The redevelopment of Garrison Woods won numerous awards from the residential development community, including the Honour Award for Planning Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners
Canadian Institute of Planners
The Canadian Institute of Planners is a professional organization in Canada for those involved in land use planning.Founded in 1919, its primary aim is "the advancement of responsible planning throughout Canada"....
and the Grand SAM Award from the Canadian Home Builders Association. An article in Macleans Magazine reported that a large number of houses were first purchased by single women.
Redevelopment of the areas west of Crowchild Trail, including military facilities, a parade ground, and single-person residential housing, began at the same time. Planning for the disposition of the land and its facilities took longer to plan out, and in the meantime warehouses and hangars were converted into offices, theatrical rehearsal spaces, and several buildings were used as studios by movie and television production companies for shows such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show is an American syndicated science fiction sitcom based on the 1989 film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It expands upon the original film's concept of a shrinking experiment gone wrong to include a myriad of experiments gone awry...
and other projects. In 2004, the base lands hosted the touring company of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
. It is currently home to Wild Rose Brewery
Wild Rose Brewery
Wild Rose Brewery, the "Pint-Sized Beer Company", is a micro brewery located in Calgary, Alberta. Primary production is of four preservative-free beers. The brewery recently moved from 1 litre packaging to six packs, and can be found in draught form in many Calgary area pubs and bars...
.
Clear Water Academy
Clear Water Academy
Clear Water Academy is a private university preparatory school located in Calgary, Alberta. It is one of the few private Catholic schools in Alberta, and is dedicated to its four pillars for Catholic formation: Intellectual Formation, Character Formation, Apostolic Formation, and Spiritual Formation...
, a private Catholic school, was established on the former CFB Calgary property and occupied three historic buildings along Dieppe Avenue. The Calgary Farmer's Market is also located west of Crowchild Trail, in an airplane hangar located on former RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
lands.
The Military Museums
The Military Museums
The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006...
(formerly known as the Museum of the Regiments) is located east of Crowchild Trail in Garrison Woods.
Current plans call for most of the base to be zoned for residential use as part of the Lincoln Park neighbourhood.