Quote:
Originally posted by Grant Bowker
is located just west of CFB Chilliwack (erected by the Engineers based there) on the road leading to Abbotsford and Vancouver. It is a great way to avoid driving North to the Trans Canada and then Southwest in order to get to the same place. Needless to say the locals love being able to make the crossing, even if they don't all know or appreciate the history of the bridge. Again, no photos, the last time I was out there the RCMP had taken over most of the base, the H-huts that had lasted for over 60 years of use and abuse had been flattened and thankfully the hated gas hut had met a similar fate. It is depressing how often we seem to put up a major complex at a base just in time to close the base.
Location added if you want to Google Earth to see why the locals find it so useful: N49°06'11" W122°04'39"
|
Closing CFB Chilliwack was an example of Pork barrel politics at it's worst. B.C. had had enough of the Liberal Party and Pierre (the finger) Trudeau in the '70s. In the 80s we fought long and hard to get the Conservatives elected but when we finally did they proved to be nothing but a bunch of Ontario and Quebec lickspittles also. In the '90s we embraced the Reform Party and they darn near formed the government! Of course, the Liberal party had to punish us western boors who so nearly kicked them out of the trough. In spite that the terrain around CFB Chilliwack was perfect for the Engineer school, when the Liberals needed to bribe the Maritimes to accept the H.S.T., what did they do? Here's a couple of billion dollars and an increased military budget for ya! 'Course, yer all bending over and grabbin' yer ankles now aren't ya, now that the bribe money is gone! What is the H.S.T. up to now? 20%? The Dovers are naming their boy Ben ain't they!
Anyway, just so I don't get accused of thread-jacking, back to Grant. Grant, I believe the Bailey just west of CFB Chilliwack is now gone and replaced with a new bridge, at least that's what they were fixin' to do around the time I left B.C. For decades in North Vancouver we used a Bailey bridge to cross the lower Lynn River after a flood washed away the original bridge.
It is indeed sad to see the skeletal remains of CFB Chilliwack. I was there when the school was up and running and it was a busy, vibrant base. The ASU still there is a scant reminder of what was. There was one bright note to the closing of the base...my unit, 192 A.E.F. in Abbotsford was allowed to pick over the carcas and we labouriously took down several metal buildings, moved them to Abbotsford, and set them up again, so a little bit of Chilliwack still remains...albeit in a new location. Go a little west of your Google Earth location until you find Abbotsford Airport. On the east side of Taxiway Delta you'll see a group of buildings next to the Water Bomber base. That's us. CHEEMO!