MANITOBA

17 Wing Winnipeg:

Originally opened by the Canadian Air Board, it became Royal Canadian Air Force Station Winnipeg in 1925.

During World War II, the station was home to No.2 Air Observer School & Central Navigation School, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Remaining a part of the post-war RCAF, the station was home to 402 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron, later re-designated as 402 “City of Winnipeg” (Transport) Squadron.

With the Unification of the Forces in 1968, the station was amalgamated with Kapyong Barracks, and re-named Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg (North).  Serving as an air transport base, Air Command Headquarters was also formed at the base in 1975.

In the mid-1990s, Air Command HQ re-located to Ottawa, and the base was re-designated as 17 Wing Winnipeg, in accordance with the introduction of the Wing Concept at air force bases.

Today, 17 Wing Winnipeg serves as a RCAF training centre, supporting the RCAF W/C William G. Barker VC Aerospace College (RCAF Barker College), No. 1 Flying Training School, No. 3 Flying Training School (located at the former RCAF Station Portage La Prairie), the RCAF School of Survival and Aeromedical Training, Canadian Forces School of Meteorology and 17 Wing Air Reserve Flight.

Sources:  17 Wing Winnipeg | Royal Canadian Air Force (forces.gc.ca), CFB Winnipeg – Wikipedia.

3rd Canadian Division Support Base Shilo:

Originally opened in the 1930s as Camp Shilo, it saw an increase in activity with the outbreak of World War II, when A3 Canadian Artillery Training Centre and A15 Canadian Infantry Training Centre stood up at the camp.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion arrived at the camp in 1942.

Shilo was one of the army camps kept open after the end of WWII.  By the late 1950s, the threat of a nuclear war had become so great that the Canadian government decided to construct a secret underground bunker to house the major elements of the government in the event of an emergency.

Most Provincial Governments followed suit by building their own Emergency Government Headquarters bunkers. The Manitoba Government chose Camp Shilo for the site of their “Diefenbunker” in the early 1960s. The Provincial Warning Centre, the Regional Emergency Government Headquarters and XXX Communications Squadron also took up residence in the bunker. All Government bunkers also doubled as a communications station, and thus had a remote communications bunker located some distance away. This second bunker, usually a single story structure, was staffed exclusively by communications personnel. Shilo’s remote transmitter bunker site was constructed at Camp Hughes, the former WWI training camp.

With the Unification of the Forces, Camp Shilo was re-named CFB Shilo.

Today, 3rd CDSB Shilo is the home of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 2nd Battalion and the home station of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery;  Princes Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (re-located from their former home of Kapyong Barracks in June 2004) and 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre C Company, 26th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.