ALBERTA

Camp Wainwright:

Established on the site of the former Buffalo National Park in 1941. As no permanent barracks existed at the time, the first occupants of the camp, the 6th Infantry Division, were quarters in tents.

In 1944 Internment Camp 103 was established on site and 1700 German POW's were imprisoned here until July 1946, after which the camp reverted to a training area for Regular and Reserve force soldiers.

In 1950, 25 Infantry Brigade, Canada's Army commitment to the UN's Commonwealth Contingent in Korea, began training here, but it wasn't until 1952 that the camp's first permanent buildings were constructed.

In July 1974, the First Canadian Mechanized Brigade Operational Training Detachment, the successor to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Regimental Depot, was established at Camp Wainwright. The Operational Training Detachment was re-named the PPCLI Battle School on 1 May 1984 and the Land Force Western Area Training Centre Battle School in 1996.

Today Camp Wainwright , featuring 609 square kilometers of training area, 25 weapon ranges from pistol to artillery and an airfield sufficient to land transport aircraft, is the largest training area in Western Canada and the primary training area for the Regular and Reserve Force Army and Air Force units of the Western area. Other users of the camp are Cadet units, the British Army, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Corrections Canada.

In April 2006 the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, officially opened at Camp Wainright, a unique training centre that prepares troops for deployment to such areas as Afghanistan.

In July 2008, 60 newly build PMQS were unveiled at Camp Wainright, the first PMQs built on any Canadian base since the 1950s.

Source Material: History of Buffalo National Park-Camp Wainwright - http://www.agt.net/public/ppclibsl/html_files/camp_wainwright.htm