Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre

Background & History
Located on the southern outskirts of the City of Vernon, British Columbia in the northen end of the Okanagan Valley. Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre (or VACSTC) is perhaps one of the most picturesque Summer Training Centres in all of Canada along with Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre HMCS Quadra on BC's west coast and the National Army Cadet Training Centre in Banff, Alberta. The training centre trains cadets in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, a nation wide youth movement.

Vernon opened as an army cadet camp in July 1949, just 2 years after the camp had been stood down as a WWII Canadian Army Basic Infantry Training Centre and support camp for the Coldstream Ranch Battle Drill School. That summer, some 1000 army cadets from BC and Alberta arrived by passenger train and trained for 10 days, a further 240 stayed behind to take 6 weeks of trades training. Since 1949 over 78,000 cadets from across Canada have trained at this famous camp. In the 1940s and 50s, training focused on Infantry Basic Training, Driver Mechanic and Signals, over the years training changed with the times and today the emphasis is on leadership, adventure training, and fitness all with a military flavour.

The camp's name has changed over the years, "Alberta - British Columbia Western Command Trades Training Camp" 1949-52, "Western Command Trades Training Camp" 1950s, "Vernon Cadet Trades Training Camp" 1956-61, "Vernon Army Cadet Camp" 1962-1996, but it very much still reflects its early days with most of it's WWII constructed H-Huts barracks and mess halls still standing and used every summer albeit updated. HM Queen Elizabeth II visited the camp in 1959 during her cross-country tour. In the 1967 celebrating Canada's centennial, Band Company and the Guard toured the province after camp for a 2-week Tattoo tour of BC visiting dozens of towns and cities. In 1977, a component of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, the USMC Jr ROTC Cadets, primarily Snohomish Senior High School in Washington State began a 13 year exchange program with the camp. In 1994 the camp hosted the first ever reunion for an army cadet camp, some 1800 former cadets and staff returned for the 4 day reunion. In 1999 the camp celebrated it's 50th anniversary with another successful reunion and museum exhibit. In 2009 the third Vernon reunion is being planned coinciding with the camp's 60th anniversary.

It is now the oldest continuous serving army cadet training centre in Canada having surpassed Banff in 1999 and Ipperwash in 1994. Ipperwash was also a WWII era H-Hut camp. Today only a few 1941-45 constructed H-Huts remain elsewhere in Canada, most have been demolished or abandoned. Camp Vernon has the largest and perhaps best conditioned examples of these once ubiquitous buildings. Modified and upgraded over the years, some 50+ original buildings still stand.

Those cadets attending VACSTC take peculiar pride in bragging and or complaining about the heat, daily summer temperatures are usually 28-32c, it's not uncommon for the thermometer to hit the mid 30s and on some instances have touched 40c. The saving grace is the low humidity and a remarkable lack of insects and mosquitoes. The scenery is extraordinary, whether at 6AM on the sports field for morning PT or an evening sunset with failing light on Vernon Mountain.

source - Army Cadet League of Canada, official history web site

Courses
*Basic Courses (2-3 weeks)
**Basic (2 weeks)
**Basic Military Band (3 weeks)
**Basic Marksman (3 weeks)
**Basic Pipes & Drums (P&D) (3 weeks)
*Cadet Leader (CL) Courses (6 weeks)
**Cadet Leader (CL)
**Cadet Leader - Military Band
**Cadet Leader - Pipes & Drums (P&D)
*Cadet Leader Instructor (CLI) Courses (6 weeks)
**Cadet Leader Instructor - Adventure
**Cadet Leader Instructor - Drill & Ceremonial (D&C)
**Cadet Leader Instructor - Military Band
**Cadet Leader Instructor - Pipes & Drums (P&D)
**Cadet Leader Instructor - Rifle Coach

The Cadet Battalion
The cadet battalion is organised into 8 companies, which is then organised in usually, 4 platoons. In the summer of 2007 the companies were as follows:
*Bravo (B Coy) (CLI Rifle Coach, CL/CLI Band, CL/CLI P&D)
*Charlie (C Coy) (CL)
*Delta (D Coy) (CL)
*Echo (E Coy) (CL)
*Foxtrot (F Coy) (2 wk Basic)
*Guard (G Coy) (CLI D&C)
*Hotel (H Coy) (3 wk Basic)
*Training & Headquarters (Trg & HQ Coy) (CLI Adventure, Trg Support)

In previous years, the battalion formation has varied, sometimes dramatically. In 1979, the battalion was one of the largest ever at the camp due partially to the temporary closure and renovation of Camp Argonaut in New Brunswick.

*Alpha (A Coy) (Cadet Leader Instructor) 3 Platoons
*Bravo (B Coy) (Cadet Leader Instructor) 3 Platoons
*Charlie (C Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Delta (D Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Echo (E Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Foxtrot (F Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Gulf (G Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Hotel (H Coy) (Cadet Leader) 3 Platoons
*Juliet (J Coy) (Junior Leader) 3 Platoons, 3 intakes 2 weeks each
*Kilo (K Coy) (Junior Leader) 3 Platoons, 3 intakes 2 weeks each
*Band Coy

See Also
*Royal Canadian Army Cadets
*Vernon, British Columbia
*

Main Menu