Canadian Army Central Ordnance Depots

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by BCA

CFB Downsview (Toronto area) had a very large supply depot which I recall being referred to as No. 1 Supply Depot. It was phased out in the late 1980's to early 1990's (?) and excess probably shipped to Montreal (Longue Point?). The huge Supply Depot building at Downsview is now used primarily as a film studio.

As a young reservist I was kitted out at No. 1 Supply Depot at Downsview. We drove there in the back of a deuce and spent several hours out in the rain, at night, by a back door wondering if we were even at the right place. Then the door opened and we went in to get a mysterious tangle of '51 pattern web gear, WW2 era mess tins, a melmac plate and cup (I still have the cup) and an M1 helmet with a reversible green/brown cover. Most of us assembled the '51 pattern web, wore it once and went to a surplus store to buy ourselves a set of '64 pattern web. Most of the kit, weapons and vehicles we were issued was made before we were born.