QUEBEC

Montreal Garrison - 5 Area Support Group:

CFB Montreal opened at Longue Pointe in 1966 as the home of No. 25 Supply Depot. The new base also assumed command of the HMCS Hochelaga, the Naval Supply Depot at Lasalle, re-designating the site as No. 4 Supply Depot.

In 1969, CFB Saint Hubert also became a detachment of CFB Montreal.

In 1995, CFB Montreal ceased to exist as an autonomous base when No. 5 Area Support Group was established. The Longue Point site became Montreal Garrison and today, the massive complex still functions as Eastern Canada's supply depot, No. 25 Supply Depot, as well as serving as the headquarters for Area Support Unit Montreal and No. 4 Intelligence Company.

Source Material: Information provided by Captain S. Latraverse, Staff Officer, Area Support Unit Montreal (2000) and the personal recollections of the author (2003).

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Saint-Jean Garrison - 5 Area Support Group:

Opened on 7 July 1941 as No. 9 Air Observer School under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The site was later re-designated RCAF Station Saint-Jean.

Although No. 9 AOS closed on 30 April 1945, No. 13 EFTS re-located to the station from Saint Eugene, Ontario. Flying training ended at No. 13 EFTS on 23 August and by 17 September, the school closed.

While most WWII stations closed, Saint Jean remained open as part of the post-war RCAF. The station later became the home of the Canadian Forces Technical, Recruit, Language and Management Schools.

As a result of the Unification, the Station was re-named CFB Saint-Jean. L'Ecole Technique des Forces Canadiennes (CF Technical School) was formed in April 1969 for language instruction.

The introduction of the Wing concept at Air Force establishments resulted in the base being re-named 16 Wing Saint-Jean in 1993. 16 Wing, originally formed in Hamilton in 1951 as 16 (Reserve) Wing and disbanded 13 years later, was re-formed at CFB Saint-Jean on 1 April 1993 as a non-flying Air Command unit. The unit relocated to CFB Borden in 1994, where it remains today and responsibility for the station was transferred to Land Forces Command.

By 1996 more change was in the wind for CFB St-Jean.  The Canadian Forces Technical School moved to CFB Borden and CFB Kingston and L'Ecole Technique des Forces Canadiennes relocated to various locations. CFB Saint-Jean was downsized and ceased to exist as an autonomous base when No. 5 Area Support Group was established. The base was re-named St. Jean Garrison.

Although some parts of the base were severed off and sold, most of it remains intact and continues to serve as the home of the CF Recruit School and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets Regional Gliding School (Eastern). The airfield operates as the Saint-Jean Airport.

Source material: DND press release from February 1994, "Wings For Victory" by Spencer Dunmore, the 16 Wing Borden web site - www.bconnex.net/~wing-hq, College Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean web site - http://www.cmrsj-rmcsj.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.asp, & the personal recollections of the author (2003).