We appreciate
the Suffield Base
The Medicine Hat and District Chamber
of Commerce appreciates and applauds
the Suffield Base for their support and
economic growth they give to Medicine
Hat and its surrounding area. The
business they offer to other businesses
here and awareness they bring to this
area has truly put Medicine Hat on the
worldly map of opportunities.
The Chamber of Commerce is honored
Quick Reference – CFB Suffield
to have an open door of communication
with the various leaders of the base, and
Active 1971 to present
look forward to continued partnerships Type of organization Support Base
in the future.
Parent Formation 1 Area Support Group
Location Suffield, Alberta
Bounded at the east by the South
Saskatchewan River, Canadian Forces
Motto Eximius Ordo
Base (CFB) Suffield’s 2690 square
(Out of the Ordinary)
kilometres of rolling prairie grassland is Military & Civilian 900 Civilians
home to the largest military training area Employee Strength 130 Canadian Military
in Canada. Since the first inhabitants, 220 British Military
the Blackfoot and Plains Cree Indians,
Operating Budget Approx $80 million
lands surrounding the base have seen
Property 2690 sq kms (270,00 ha)
significant use by both the Provincial
and Federal Governments in a variety
from the Canadian Pacific Railway, British interest did not entirely disappear
of capacities. In 1941, the need was
the Hudson’s Bay Company and local with their departure in 1946. When the
identified to establish a Canadian
ranchers for a nominal fee. On June British Army realized they were going
experimental station that could conduct
11, 1941, the Experimental Station to lose their primary training facility
trials to determine whether chemical
Suffield officially commenced its in Libya in 1969, the effort to find a
weapons could be effective on the
operations under the administration new location intensified and the idea
modern battlefield. The British Army
of the Canadian Army. In 1946 with to pursue access to the training area in
asked to partner with the Canadian
the war drawing to a close the British Suffield intensified. In 1971, Suffield
Government quest to determine the
element of the station terminated their was officially designated as a Canadian
effectiveness of chemical weapons. After
participation in further research. Since Forces Base and the arrival of the British
several site visits it was determined that
this time the experimental station Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS)
due to the large area, and the isolation it
has seen several name changes and commenced.
presented, Suffield would be the perfect
administrative authorities over the
location to permit large-scale trials with
years, however it has remained to be Today CFB Suffield comprises over 130
both aircraft and artillery.
the longest permanent resident at CFB Canadian Military personnel and close
Suffield. to 900 civilian employees in support to
Much of the land was expropriated
its two lodger units, Defence Research
4 C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r C e • a P r I L 2 0 0 9
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