RCAF Station Downsview
| CFB Toronto | |
|---|---|
| Summary | |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Closed | April 1, 1996 |
| Occupants | Royal Canadian Air Force / Canadian Armed Forces |
| Coordinates | 43°44′38″N 79°27′56″W / 43.74389°N 79.46556°WCoordinates: 43°44′38″N 79°27′56″W / 43.74389°N 79.46556°W |
Canadian Forces Base Toronto (also CFB Toronto) is a former Canadian Forces base in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently operated as Toronto/Downsview Airport.
The Downsview Lands were part of an extensive land parcel acquired by the British Crown in 1787 from the Mississauga Nation in what is referred to as the Toronto Purchase. "Downsview" received its name in the 1830s after a farm on the property that was called "Downs View", attributed to its commanding vista of Lake Ontario to the south, looking "down" from the plateau. The area was connected with Toronto in the 1850s when Dufferin Street and the Northern Railway were constructed.
In 1929 the de Havilland Aircraft of Canada constructed an aircraft manufacturing plant, hangar and airfield at a property known as Downsview north of Toronto's central business district. Following World War II, the Department of National Defence was in need of property for stationing Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons to protect the concentration of industry and population in southern Ontario. In 1947, the federal government acquired and consolidated 270 properties in Downsview surrounding the De Havilland manufacturing plant. This large tract was developed in the ensuing years as RCAF Station Downsview and became part of the Canadian military's front-line defence of the region.
The February 1, 1968, unification of the RCAF, Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Army to form the Canadian Forces saw RCAF Station Downsview renamed Canadian Forces Base Toronto (Downsview), later shortened to just Canadian Forces Base Toronto (or CFB Toronto).
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