NEW BRUNSWICK

Moncton Garrison:

Originally established in 1940 as the home of No. 5 Equipment Depot, a supply centre for all the east-coast RCAF stations.

As a result of the Unification, the Station was re-named CFB Moncton and control of the base was transferred to Maritime Command in 1966. The role of the base was to provide administrative and logistical support to 5 Canadian Forces Supply Depot, a Recruiting Centre, the Eastern New Brunswick Militia District Headquarters and the local Reserve Force and Cadet units.

In the mid 1990s, a reorganization and consolidation occurred within the Canadian Military. Several bases were either downsized, merged or closed and as a result, CFB Moncton was reduced to a detachment of CFB Gagetown in 1995. Command of the Detachment was transferred Land Forces Command. No. 5 Canadian Forces Equipment Depot closed on 1 April 1 1996.

In 1995, No. 1 Construction Engineering Unit re-located from Winnipeg’s Kapyong Barracks.

The detachment, re-named Moncton Garrison, also served as the home of 4th Air Defence Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery, 37 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters, 32 Service Battalion, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) and later 303 Military Police Platoon.  The Canadian Forces Support Establishment Moncton provided the local Reserve, Cadet and remaining Regular Force units with administrative and logistical support.

A small portion of the property was severed off and transferred to the Canada Lands Corporation. The Royal Canadian Legion took over the former Officer’s Mess and the Canadian Forces Housing Agency maintained 70 PMQs (now called Residential Housing Units) for military members.

In 2003, No. 1 Construction Engineering Unit disbanded and No. 1 Engineer Support Unit (1 ESU) officially stood up to replace it, due to the requirement for the CF to generate, deploy, and sustain a national military support capability.  No. 1 ESU was mandated to provide or arrange the full assortment of military engineering general support to contingency operations and close support to CF command and control elements.

In April 2012, the Department of National Defence announced that Moncton Garrison would close the next two years.

In 2013, No. 1 Engineering Support Unit relocated to CFB Kingston and No. 4 Air Defence Regiment relocated to CFB Gagetown.

Also in 2013, Food Depot Alimentaire (FDA) petitioned the Federal Government to take over the main building at Moncton Garrison, Building 66.  This was confirmed in November 2015, when the City of Moncton bought Building 66 and will turning the building over to FDA as a centralized food bank.

By spring of 2016, only be two buildings will remain in military hands: B 48 and B 61, which will be occupied by  the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) and 37 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters.  Additionally, a military police platoon and elements of the North Shore Regiment will be housed in one part of B 48.

As of 2019, Moncton Garrison remains an active army establishment.

Source material: information provided by Tom McLaughlan, 8th Hussars Museum (2016),  DND press releases from May 1989 & February 1994, information supplied by John Allain Corporation of the City of Moncton (1999), information supplied by Claude Despres, Corporation of the City of Moncton (1999), New Brunswick Military Heritage Project – http://www.unb.ca/nbmhp/02_NBMHPsites.htm, New Brunswick Military Heritage Project – http://www.unb.ca/nbmhp/02_NBMHPsites.htm, information supplied by Doug Zwicker, 1 Engineer Support Unit (2004), “Abandoned Military Installations of Canada Volume III: Atlantic ” by Author Paul Ozorak & information supplied by Bill Soucoup, Constable, RCMP Patrol Section Codiac Regional RCMP Detachment Moncton (1999), Moncton Military Family Resource Centre handbook 2013 – http://www.familyforce.ca/sites/Moncton/EN/Newsletter/Documents/NewPosting_Hanbook2013_Web.pdfCity of Moncton news release, 4 May 2013 – http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=10986, CBC News – www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/04/04/nb-defence-cuts-gagetown-moncton.html & Food Depot Alimentaire – www.ipick.ca/fredericton/fda-hoping-to-turn-former-moncton-garrison-building-into-food-bankcommunity-centre &”Garrison building 66 to become centralized food bank”, 91.9 The Bend radio (2015).

Camp Sussex:

Opened in Moncton in 1885 as a tented Militia Training Camp, used by the 28th Cavalry and various infantry and artillery regiments.

During World War II, the camp served as the home to No. A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre. “Temporary” H-huts were built at the camp for barracks and administration buildings. In early 1944, No. A-34 Special Officers’ Training Centre also opened at the camp.

The camp remained open after World War II, serving as the headquarters of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s).

The camp began downsizing in the early 1950s when the nearby Camp Gagetown was established and finally closed in 1965. The rifle range continued to be used until the early 1980s, when it too closed due to nearby residential development. The former camp’s hospital was used as the local hospital until 1979, when it was demolished.

Very little remains of Camp Sussex today, with the sole remaining building being a former tank hangar, now used by the New Brunswick Agricultural Museum.

The Department of National Defense still owns part of the property, with Leonard Drive running down the middle of the former camp. The Brigadier Milton Gregg, VC, Armoury occupies a small portion of the former camp, serving as the home to “B” Squadron of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) and the training area continues to be used by troops from CFB Gagetown.

The remainder of the former camp is a recreational park, industrial park and educational campus. A future housing development is also planned for the area.

As a nod to the property’s military past, the local sports centre is named the 8th Hussars Sports Centre.

Source Material: Town of Sussex – http://www.townofsussex.com/sussex/history.html, the Blacks Harbour Historical Society – http://www.geocities.com/blacksharbour/utopia.html, information supplied by Doug Briggs, Sergeant-at-Arms, Royal Canadian Legion, Sussex Branch(2003), Abandoned Military Installations of Canada Volume III: Atlantic by Paul Ozorak & New Brunswick Historic Images – http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbpstgeo/stge9armycamp.htm.