Canadian Forces Base Petawawa
“In a few short years ... Petawawa ... will be peopled with citizen soldiery of the Dominion - strong, brawny men, assembled together to learn the dread science of war. Proper buildings will be erected for their reception, but these will be as few as possible, for the Canadian soldier will learn to live as though on active service.”
Eganville Leader, 2 September 1904
Petawawa: Where one hears noise like this...
From the ice age and beyond, to the stories of aboriginal warriors and settlements, the steps of European explorers and settlers to the military might of Canada’s armed forces, the area we know as Petawawa has witnessed the breath of history. Walk with us as we tell you our story...
Formation
In the late 19th century, the Canadian military began to equip its army with larger and more sophisticated artillery pieces, resulting in a need to find larger training areas where these massive guns could be fired.
After much debate, Petawawa was chosen as the ideal location for a summer training camp. A good railway, an unattractive area for the soldiers “offering less opportunities for amusement after work” and the fact that the provincial government already owned a large portion of the land, swayed the politicians and military commanders away from alternate sites at Barry’s Bay and Kazuabazua.
By 1911 the training area encompassed over 30 thousand hectares. The formation of such a large military camp required the development of the local area. New roads, improved rail service and the installation of electric and communication lines increased local employment and stabilized the area.
The first regiments to train at Camp Petawawa were the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Royal Canadian Engineers and the Royal Canadian Regiment, supported by Medical, Service and Ordnance Corps.
The Land Grab
The decision to develop a summer training camp at Petawawa required the expropriation of land from local settlers, most of who were of German origin who had acquired their homesteads under the Homestead Act of 1880. Most left quickly, but some, like Mr. Jacob Stewart, held on for a few years.
A significant number of settlers sold their land in the summer of 1905 to one man, Mr. Albert Mackie, who was the son of Thomas Mackie, former member of Parliament for North Renfrew. By September the young and wily Mr. Mackie had sold his land to the federal government for a substantial profit.
“The preparation of the ranges has been delayed considerably on account of the difficulty in settling with the farmers whom it was necessary to move off their place on account of the danger and risk involved. It was at first thought that they could be induced to move temporarily during the camp, but the indemnity offered was not considered sufficient, and they refused to leave. It then became necessary to buy them out in order to carry out the purpose of the camp. About 17 farmers were bought out altogether, their places being nearly all situated along the banks of the Ottawa River, some six or eight miles west of Petawawa Station.”
The Silver Dart
The Canadian government began to show an interest in the use of aircraft for military operations after a presentation to the Canadian Club by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in the spring of 1909. However, funding was not available, and instead, the government offered the use of Camp Petawawa, its men and equipment for aeronautical trials.
The Silver Dart and her crew arrived in Petawawa in June 1909. By 31 July, the fragile aircraft was assembled and ready for flight. The first four flights occurred without mishap. On the fifth flight the pilot misjudged the distance and height, and the plane crashed. It could not be repaired, and the Baddeck I was quickly prepared for flight. After a series of ground runs and test flights, the Baddeck I crashed, destroying its propeller, rudder and carriage, and damaging struts and rods.
The flight of the Silver Dart is considered the first military aeronautical trial in Canadian history and, while not entirely successful, it peaked the interest of the Canadian military, paving the way for the formation of the Royal Canadian Flying Corps.
Camp 33
During the First World War, in reaction to a fear of invasion and an ignorance of foreign nationals, the Canadian government built several internment camps across the country. The camps served as prisoner of war and labour camps, using the internees to build roads and railways, clear land and cut lumber.
The camp at CFB Petawawa opened on 10 December 1914. Its prisoners were of predominantly Canadians of German and Ukrainian descent, although there were smaller numbers of Czechs, Turks, Bulgarians and other persons of Austro-Hungarian origin. The camp closed in 1916. One year later, the camp was reopened to house 2338 Chinese railway labourers destined for service at the Western Front.
A second camp at Centre Lake, Camp 33, opened on 23 September 1939. Guarded by young soldiers and the Veteran’s Guard of Canada, the camp held Canadians of German, Italian and Japanese descent. In 1942, the civilians were transferred to other camps and their sleeping quarters were filled with German sailors, submariners, officers and soldiers.
The camp was officially closed on 31 March 1946.
The Royal Twenty-Centers
With the onset of the Depression, the numbers of unemployed men rose, and the government felt that a solution was required to keep the men off the street and out of trouble.
The solution was the formation of unemployment relief camps across Canada. Unemployment Relief Project Number 40 was established in 1933 at Camp Petawawa.
The men were tasked to various duties, including the construction of buildings, including the Silver Dart Aerodrome, levelling of gun parks and improvement of sewage systems, forestry and road maintenance.
The men, primarily single, young and physically fit, were paid 20 cents a day. Due to widespread criticism about the military discipline and low wages, the camps were eventually discontinued.
Do You Think You’d Make a Soldier?
Can you:
- Lift a 40-pound rucksack?
- Carry your buddy 100 meters?
- Stand the sight of blood?
- Take orders?
Are you willing to:
- Leave home with 12 hours notice?
- Move your family anywhere (and we mean anywhere!)
- Kill your enemy?
- Jump out of a helicopter at 1000 feet?
- Jump out of a plane at 1200 feet?
- Stand in pouring rain for hours on end?
- Sleep next to strangers for days and weeks on end?
- Dress in green everyday?
Russian Artillery Testing
In the winter of 1916 - 1917, Camp Petawawa played host to the Russian artillery, which was testing 3- inch artillery shells manufactured by the Canada Car and Foundry Company. The testing was successful and the company received an order for 5 million shrapnel and high-explosive shells from the Russian government, but before the contract could be completed and the company paid, the munitions factory suffered a intentional fire and the Russian Imperial Government was overthrown.
A number of buildings were built for the Russian delegation, but only one survives. Russia House overlooks the Ottawa River and is now used as single officers quarters.
The Time Capsule of Bessborough Hall
Camp Petawawa has received many royal and distinguished visitors, including Lord and Lady Bessborough in 1935. Their visit was marked by the laying of a cornerstone in Building E-1, the new administration building.
In 1999, E-1 was demolished, and the cornerstone rescued. In 2004, the cornerstone was opened to reveal a treasure trove of maps, coins, documents and stamps.
Cupid’s Nest
Cupid’s Nest was built in 1910 to house the Camp Commandant, Colonel J.F. (Cupid) Wilson, who was rumoured to be “a dapper, chivalrous individual who cut quite a figure with the ladies”, according to a poem written in 1883.
Later commandants and their families used Cupid’s Nest as a summer cottage. In 1920, General Elkins and his family used the cottage, with the children sleeping in tents pitched on the lawn below.
By the 1930’s the “Nest” was being used as the commandant’s single quarters and accommodation for visiting staff officers. Today it is used to house visiting VIP’s.
The Married Patch
Prior to and during the Second World War housing for military families did not exist, and soldiers had to house their families “off-base”. After 1945, military families were housed in H-Huts. These “homes” consisted of nothing more than a section of the hut, with walls of blankets or cheap wooden partitions. There was little privacy.
By the mid 1950’s proper homes were being erected. Consisting of two or three bedrooms, one bathroom, a small but functional kitchen and a living room, they were the standard of the day. We can only imagine the joy a military wife felt when she was handed the keys to her new home.
Streets and schools were named for decisive battles, military commanders and important events - Normandy, Dieppe, Panet and Borden.
The military housing boom continued until the 1970’s when the numbers of serving military personnel dwindled, wages increased and homes became more affordable.
Today the same houses built 50 years ago are homes to a new generation of soldiers, their families, and civilian employees.
Petawawa Related Sites
