CFB Esquimalt
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| CFB Esquimalt - former Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard | |
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| Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Type | Naval base |
| Built | 1905 |
| In use | 1842-present |
| Controlled by | Canadian Forces |
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (CFB Esquimalt) is Canada's west coast navy base and home port to the Pacific fleet, known as Maritime Forces Pacific.
It occupies approximately 41 km² (10,300 acres) at the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in and around the municipality of Esquimalt, British Columbia, just west of the provincial capital, Victoria.
CFB Esquimalt comprises facilities including HMCS Naden, Fleet Maintenance Facility - Cape Breton (FMF-CB), a Fire Fighting and Damage Control School, the Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC Venture), and extensive housing including 716 personnel married quarters located at nine sites such as Belmont Park, Work Point, and Royal Roads.
The present dockyard and drydock dates to the Royal Navy's Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard (1842-1905) and was used initially to service Royal Navy square riggers; modernized, it now services the most recent Canadian warships.
At present,[when?] CFB Esquimalt services the following vessels which are part of the Canadian Pacific Fleet and MARPAC:
- HALIFAX PATROL FRIGATE
- IROQUOIS CLASS DESTROYER
- KINGSTON CLASS COAST DEFENCE VESSEL
- VICTORIA CLASS PATROL SUBMARINES
- PROTECTEUR CLASS AUXILLARY OIL REPLENISHMENT
- FLEET SAIL TRAINING VESSEL
- AUXILIARY VESSELS
- CFAV Firebrand (YTR 562), fireboat
- CFAV Lawrenceville (YTL 590), tugboat
- CFAV Parksville (YTL 591), tugboat
- CFAV Glendyne (YTB 640), tugboat
- CFAV Glendale (YTB 641), tugboat
- ORCA CLASS PATROL CRAFT TRAINING
- Orca (PCT 55)
CFB Esquimalt operates its own ferry service (the Blue Boat) and bus services to provide intra-base transportation. The Naval and Military Museum is located at HMCS Naden. The Look-Out is the base newspaper which covers local, national and international news with specific interest to Navy and Canadian Forces members and family issues.
CFB Esquimalt also includes the Albert Head training area located approximately 30 km by road southwest of downtown Victoria, occupying approximately 88 hectares (220 acres), 4 of which are developed as training facilities. Fort Albert Head was established at this location during World War II to provide shore defense for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria Harbour. The area is also used by cadets for their field training and also is home for the Albert Head Air Cadet Summer Training Centre. Albert Head Air Cadet Summer Training Centre is used by the Royal Canadian Air Cadets for their summer training program during the summer from July to August. The training area is also home to the Regional Cadet Instructor School (Pacific) which trains Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) officers who deliver the cadet program.
[edit] See also
- Maritime Pacific Command infopage on CFB Esquimalt
- Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard
- List of Royal Navy ships in the Pacific Northwest
