Valcartier (W/C J.H.L. (Joe) Lecomte) Heliport 2nd Canadian Division Support Base, Valcartier Base des Forces canadiennes Valcartier |
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CFB Valcartier
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
Owner | Government of Canada | ||||||||||
Operator | DND | ||||||||||
Location | Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec | ||||||||||
Built | 1914 | ||||||||||
Commander | Colonel Sébastien Bouchard | ||||||||||
Occupants | 5 CMBG | ||||||||||
Time zone | EST (UTC−05:00) | ||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−04:00) | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 550 ft / 168 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 46°54′10″N 071°30′13″W / 46.90278°N 71.50361°W | ||||||||||
Website | www.army.forces.gc.ca/5gbmc | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Location of CFB Valcartier in Quebec | |||||||||||
Helipads | |||||||||||
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Source: Canada Flight Supplement
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Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, approximately 25 km (16 mi) north of Quebec City. It is home to 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
CFB Valcartier was originally erected as a military training camp in August 1914 as part of the mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the onset of World War I. A 10-foot-6-inch (3.20 m)-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 for "enemy aliens", mainly eastern Europeans. 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 and 8,000 horses.
In 1968, after the unification of the Canadian Forces, the title 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was assigned to the brigade group established in CFB Valcartier.
Currently, Valcartier Garrison is home to 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
The following units are stationed at Valcartier:
The base also houses 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, 5 Service Battalion (which also provides services from ASU Saint-Jean and CFB Montreal), CI SQFT (Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre), in addition to providing training facilities for most Quebec-based reserve units. The Myriam Bédard Biathlon Training Centre is also located on the base.