Ferret on Parliament Hill during the October Crisis - pic ID

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Folks

This image was shared by a friend of mine. Its resolution is as good as it gets. It reputedly shows Canadian Ferrets deployed to Parliament Hill during the 1970 October Crisis. Serious response to high drama in Canada. The registration number starts 54 and seems to end 89. If this CFR can be identified, whoever owns this one now has a genuine historically significant provenance.

Are there any better images? More than the photo shoot?

How is it suggestive of the Ferret being at Parliament Hill?

Do the buildings, 3/4 tons, and M113A1 in the background suggest otherwise?
Could it be the deployment to Camp Bouchard in response to protect 34 CFAD? Or a component of Op ‘ESSAY’ ?

[Ed Storey]

There is a good chance that the Ferret in the Camp Bouchard photograph is indeed 54-82589 (36BA60) as it was disposed of out of BFC Valcartier in 1982. The other likely candidate 54-82539 (35BA94) was also in Valcartier and was disposed of at the same time as 82589. Another possibility, 54-82509 (35BA68), was disposed of out of CFB Petawawa in 1980.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

There is a good chance that the Ferret in the Camp Bouchard photograph is indeed 54-82589 (36BA60) as it was disposed of out of BFC Valcartier in 1982. The other likely candidate 54-82539 (35BA94) was also in Valcartier and was disposed of at the same time as 82589. Another possibility, 54-82509 (35BA68), was disposed of out of CFB Petawawa in 1980.

I knew I could trust your feature extractor's eyeballs.

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

I knew I could trust your feature extractor's eyeballs.

Terry, actually terrain analysist's eyeballs, as I predate feature extraction.

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

Terry, actually terrain analysist's eyeballs, as I predate feature extraction.

Cast your terrain gaze over this... old eagle eye(s)

[Ed Storey]

Looks like 54-82543 to me.

[Robin Craig]

Looks like it to me also.

It is interesting to see the front and rear light tower for side and turn signals still in place in the original picture and the large black and white convoy marking applied in the enlarged picture

[Darrell Zinck]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

Looks like 54-82543 to me.

Hi

Got this (and one other) recently; Fredericton Flea Market finds.


35 BA98 = 54-82543

regards
Darrell

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Michael R.

How is it suggestive of the Ferret being at Parliament Hill?

Do the buildings, 3/4 tons, and M113A1 in the background suggest otherwise?
Could it be the deployment to Camp Bouchard in response to protect 34 CFAD? Or a component of Op ‘ESSAY’ ?

The background and actual byline correct the misrepresented caption. Evidently these vehicles were not in Ottawa. Apparently they were someone's version of a QRF. I know some 12eRBC moved into the Sherbrooke Hussars armoury on William St - for the duration. What they did in there is anyone's guess. I was only 10 at the time.

Camp Bouchard was a significant installation in Ste Therese. Parts of it are still visible, but have been turned back to the city. IIRC, it falls over 3 or 4 map sheets. It was an Ordnance Corps camp, and I remember my father telling stories about getting 28-gauge blackpowder blanks made there for the unit's Centennial Platoon for 1967. They used a chamber insert in rented Snider Enfields and performed 1870s drill in all the little towns around the Eastern Townships that summer.