[maple_leaf_eh]

My .02cents (which rounds down to nothing now in Canada!).

This was a leftover from the early days of WWII when the Americans piled on and garrisoned the strategic ports and airfields of Newfoundland. The island was too far from UK, even though it was a British colony. Canada was focussed on getting momentum upright and forward for the agreed campaigns in Europe. Almost by default help was gratefully received when the US offered. When they were not needed as urgently, the Americans went home (or elsewhere) and left behind what was either built-in or extraneous.

Leap forward four or five decades. The regular force units in Newfoundland are air force, navy and communications. The only army units were (and are) reserves, including a service battalion. The range described was little more than a manoeuver field with some objectives. The Canadian reserves have always been impoverished and hamstrung with take-the-fun-out-of-everything safety guidelines. So I sincerely doubt the tank was ever subjected to relentless anti-tank or small arms fire.

The Service Battalion stirred itself to recover the tanks when the training area was either sold off or cleaned up. Somehow I recall the tanks sat in their compound for a while. I think the Commanding Officer, who would not have much budget or manpower to spare, realized he couldn't do the job justice and made some kind of a 'drug deal' to get the project moving.