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50-594: Originally this facility was developed with an airfield and army training centre, however these facilities were partly decommissioned in the 1970s and ownership of the airfield and some lands/buildings transferred to the Government of Nova Scotia to be operated as the Debert Air Industrial Park. Following decommissioning of the REGH and removal of the last military presence at CFS Debert in the 1996,

100-561: A large ammunition depot was built as well as extensive firing ranges . Component units arrived at Camp Debert from across Canada and were organized into larger formations before being carried by trains to troopships at Halifax, usually at night in black-out conditions . All five divisions of the First Canadian Army were housed (all, or in part) at Camp Debert prior to departure for the European Theatre during

150-584: A municipal airfield, known as Debert Airport . In 1958, at the height of the Cold War and the infancy of the ICBM threat, Debert was selected as the site for 1 of 6 communication centres and "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complexes being located across Canada. The Debert facility would be the only such complex built in the Maritime provinces. A small part of Camp Debert was proposed to be used for

200-725: A nineteen-room museum located in "Colchester Park". The museum is a registered charity and is managed by a volunteer board of directors. The museum has a diverse collection of military memorabilia from both World Wars as well as the Cold War and Korean War . The Debert Military Museum is the only museum in Canada that houses a display of Russian photographs presented to the Museum by the Russian Ambassador of Canada. The museum features items donated by members and family members of

250-519: A part of the bunker was used to film an independent movie, Bunker 6 . It was also used for a paintball game. The previous CBC Studio located in the bunker has been turned into a media recording studio called Top Secret Sounds. June 2014 the official website for the Debert Diefenbunker revealed the intent to offer leased space within the bunker including self-storage. The Debert Military Museum maintains Debert's military history with

300-585: A unicameral legislature, the General Assembly , whose sole chamber is the House of Assembly . In total, 55 representatives are elected to serve the interests of the province. The political party that wins the largest number of seats in the legislature normally forms the Government, and the party's leader becomes premier of the province (the head of government). The current government of the province

350-727: Is velodrome , an arena for velocipedes . Αεροδρόμιο is the word for airport in Modern Greek, which transliterates as aerodromio. In British military usage, the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War , and the Royal Air Force in the First and Second World Wars , used the term—it had the advantage that their French allies, on whose soil they were often based, and with whom they co-operated, used

400-549: Is "a defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft." The word aerodrome derives from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr), air , and δρόμος (drómos), road or course , literally meaning air course . An ancient linguistic parallel is hippodrome (a stadium for horse racing and chariot racing ), derived from ἵππος (híppos), horse , and δρόμος (drómos), course . A modern linguistic parallel

450-470: Is an aerodrome with significant facilities to support aircraft and crew. The term is usually reserved for military bases, but also applies to civil seaplane bases . An airstrip is a small aerodrome that consists only of a runway with perhaps fueling equipment. They are generally in remote locations, e.g. Airstrips in Tanzania . Many airstrips (now mostly abandoned) were built on the hundreds of islands in

500-661: Is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes and amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. It may have a terminal building on land and/or a place where the plane can come to shore and dock like a boat to load and unload (for example, Yellowknife Water Aerodrome ). Some are co-located with a land based airport and are certified airports in their own right. These include Vancouver International Water Airport and Vancouver International Airport . Others, such as Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre have their own control tower, Vancouver Harbour Control Tower . The Canadian Aeronautical Information Manual says "...for

550-401: Is for public or private use. Aerodromes include small general aviation airfields, large commercial airports, and military air bases . The term airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that not all aerodromes may have achieved. That means that all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Usage of

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600-660: Is led by the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia, headed by Premier Tim Houston who was sworn into office in August 2021. In 1758, Nova Scotia was granted an elected assembly, becoming the first Canadian colony to enjoy a representative political institution. The representatives of Nova Scotia's House of Assembly were elected by a limited number of individuals who were required to own property and swear on certain oaths. This changed in 1836 when political reformer Joseph Howe started

650-525: The Canadian and British militaries , including uniforms, decorations, communications equipment and documents. It no longer offers tours of the Debert Bunker, while still retaining information and artifacts about it. Government of Nova Scotia The Government of Nova Scotia ( French : Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Écosse , Scottish Gaelic : Riaghaltas Alba Nuadh ) is the government of

700-632: The Canadian province of Nova Scotia . The powers and structure of the province are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867 . In modern Canadian use, the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet of the day (formally the Executive Council of Nova Scotia ) chosen from the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and the non-political staff within each provincial department or agency – that is, the civil service. Nova Scotia has

750-640: The Pacific Ocean during the Second World War. A few airstrips grew to become full-fledged airbases as the strategic or economic importance of a region increased over time. An advanced landing ground was a temporary airstrip used by the Allies in the run-up to and during the invasion of Normandy , and these were built both in Britain, and on the continent. A water aerodrome or seaplane base

800-546: The Royal Canadian Air Force for an aerodrome. Located on the Montreal -Halifax main line of Canadian National Railways , the flat plain surrounding Debert Station were considered ideal for an army staging facility in addition to an aerodrome. The additional benefit that it was located only 100 km (62 mi) north of Halifax. On August 9, 1940, the 6th Field Company Canadian Engineers arrived at

850-517: The cognate term aérodrome . In Canada and Australia, aerodrome is a legal term of art for any area of land or water used for aircraft operation, regardless of facilities. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) documents use the term aerodrome , for example, in the Annex to the ICAO Convention about aerodromes, their physical characteristics, and their operation. However,

900-532: The troopships . To meet this requirement, the government announced that existing facilities at Camp Aldershot near Kentville, Nova Scotia and Camp Sussex near Sussex , New Brunswick would be upgraded to handle the requirements of housing and training brigade -size units. In spring of 1940, the government also began purchasing additional land in Debert for a division -size training and marshalling facility adjacent to those lands previously purchased in 1938 by

950-556: The Canadian Forces saw the Diefenbunker and support facilities, the last remnants of Camp Debert, change its name to Canadian Forces Station Debert ( CFS Debert ), in keeping with the naming convention for minor military facilities across Canada. In the 1970s, CFS Debert, as with most Diefenbunker facilities across the country, was downgraded further as the number of personnel were reduced. Attempts to find other uses for

1000-566: The Diefenbunker was sold again by the Municipality of the County of Colchester to recover unpaid taxes from the previous owner, Dataville Farms Ltd. It was purchased by Jonathan Baha'i for $ 31,300 along with the adjoining parking lot for $ 4150. The new owner has indicated he intends to use the facility for a data centre with an emphasis on cloud storage . Other parts of the facility may be used for unspecified research and development. In 2013,

1050-449: The Second World War. In addition, the 7th Canadian Infantry Division of Atlantic Command was formed at Camp Debert, although its volunteer troops went overseas as reinforcements rather than an intact combat unit . Following the war, Camp Debert was used in the repatriation of troops returning from Europe before undergoing significant downsizing with the majority of training and marshalling areas being decommissioned. In 1948, Camp Debert

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1100-856: The United States and Canada across the Atlantic. Aircrew were trained on the Lockheed Hudson and de Havilland Mosquito . No. 31 OTU was later taken over by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1944 and re-designated No. 7 O.T.U. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, RCAF Debert briefly hosted 420 and 425 Squadrons as part of Tiger Force , a long-range Commonwealth bomber group formed to strike against Japan. 420 and 425 operated Avro Lancaster bombers as training aircraft to prepare for their new role. Tiger Force

1150-622: The adjacent Debert Airport for the Advanced Aviation Course and Glider Pilot Scholarship programs. In December 2008 the 64,000 sq ft (5,900 m) Diefenbunker was sold by the Colchester Regional Development Association to a private data warehousing and data centre co-location services provider, Bastionhost. Bastionhost was going to renovate the facility as a high-density, groundwater-cooled data centre. In November 2012

1200-617: The airfield for glider training. The first year saw air tow and winch operations, later years used a significant amount of auto tow supplemented with air tow launches. The regional gliding school used the agricultural college in Truro for the ground school, administration and dormitories. In 2005, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets used the Diefenbunker for its Regional Gliding School (Atlantic) Headquarters. Air cadets from Atlantic Canada ranging in age from 15 to 18 trained at

1250-450: The camp housed more troops than the population of neighbouring Truro at the time. The surrounding community of Debert grew rapidly with movie houses, restaurants, bars and other businesses being set up and the economic effects spilling over into Truro. Camp Debert was the final staging area for units embarking from Halifax and was the location where the majority of troops received and trained with their personal weapons. For these purposes

1300-676: The colony of Nova Scotia in January and February 1848. Howe's push for responsible government was inspired by the work of Thomas McCulloch and Jotham Blanchard almost two decades earlier. The functions of the sovereign, Charles III , King of Canada and King in Right of Nova Scotia , are exercised by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia . The Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Governor General of Canada on

1350-609: The complex along with supporting surface structures and personnel housing. Construction began in 1960 on an underground 2-storey bunker (approximately half the size of the CEGHQ , located in Carp , Ontario ) capable of withstanding a near-hit from a nuclear explosion (an approximate 1–1.5 mi (1.6–2.4 km) radius). The underground building had blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters (mainly against biological, chemical and radioactive contaminants). Underground storage

1400-780: The early aerodromes obsolete. The unimproved airfield remains a phenomenon in military aspects. The DHC-4 Caribou served in the United States military in Vietnam (designated as the CV-2), landing on rough, unimproved airfields where the C-130 Hercules workhorse could not operate. Earlier, the Ju 52 and Fieseler Storch could do the same, one example of the latter taking off from the Führerbunker whilst completely surrounded by Soviet troops. In colloquial use in certain environments,

1450-406: The facility for aircraft carrier landing practise in support of naval aviation aircraft stationed at nearby Royal Canadian Naval Air Station (RCNAS) Shearwater . Also in the 1960s, some unused hangar space at the aerodrome was used to house a medical equipment supply depot which was used by all three branches of the armed forces. On February 1, 1968, the merger of the three service branches into

1500-661: The fall of 1940 and was completed in April 1941, coinciding with the construction of the army's adjoining Camp Debert . The airfield itself consisted of three 5000 ft runways arranged in an overlapping triangle. 31 O.T.U was one of several similar facilities constructed in the Maritime provinces in support of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and RAF Ferry Command . Aircrew trained at Debert to ferry newly manufactured aircraft from

1550-719: The final decisions of the Government. It is responsible for the operations and management of government as well as for making key policy decisions. The Executive Council is made up of Ministers, who are conventionally also members of the House of Assembly (MLAs). They are chosen by the Premier and appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Aerodrome An aerodrome is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo , passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it

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1600-523: The head of government in Nova Scotia, the premier exercises a substantial amount of power. James B. Uniacke was the first Premier of Nova Scotia and led the government from 1848 to 1854. The current Premier, Tim Houston , was sworn in as premier on August 31, 2021. He is the 30th Premier of the Province of Nova Scotia since Confederation. The Executive Council (also known as Cabinet) makes

1650-493: The mid-1990s. In 1998 the Department of National Defence finished all environmental assessments and decommissioned the facility, transferring the facility to "Colchester Park", a local development authority. Today the only remnant of a once-vast military presence in Debert is a firing range used by militia reserve units from Cumberland , Colchester and Pictou counties. In 1985 the Royal Canadian Air Cadets began to use

1700-457: The most part, all of Canada can be an aerodrome", however, there are also "registered aerodromes" and "certified airports". To become a registered aerodrome, the operator must maintain certain standards and keep the Minister of Transport informed of any changes. To be certified as an airport the aerodrome, which usually supports commercial operations, must meet safety standards. Nav Canada ,

1750-591: The movement for responsible government , a government that is dependent on the support of an elected assembly instead of a monarch or vicegerent. Under the guidance of Joseph Howe, who led the Reformers (Liberals), the first genuine political party appeared in the election of 1836. The first instance of responsible government in the British Empire outside of the United Kingdom itself was achieved by

1800-663: The recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada , in consultation with the Premier of Nova Scotia . In the case of unconstitutional actions, the Lieutenant Governor has the power to dismiss a government by refusing a decision of the Executive Council. This power is rarely used as it would disrupt the affairs of the elected government. The Premier of Nova Scotia is the President of the Executive Council. Being

1850-516: The remaining military facilities took place through the 1980s with militia reserve units training at CFS Debert. In 1982 CFS Debert was equipped with Telegraph Automated Relay Equipment (TARE) which was used to relay communications received at the nearby Satellite Ground Terminal Folly Lake . The end of the Cold War and reduction in the ICBM threat, as well as the Diefenbunker's obsolescence, saw all remaining military personnel removed from CFS Debert by

1900-851: The rest facility was transferred to the Government of Nova Scotia and then the Colchester Regional Development Authority to operate as Colchester Park. Following the outbreak of the Second World War in the fall of 1939, the first Canadian units began shipping through the port of Halifax ; however the end of the Phoney War in the spring of 1940 required a massive ramp-up in Canada's land forces in Europe . The sheer volume of soldiers who would be embarking through Halifax required staging facilities for training and marshalling combat units before embarking on

1950-654: The site and began work at clearing the forests and laying out what would become the Debert Military Camp (also referred to as Camp Debert ). Employing 6,000 civilians and thousands more military members, the engineers cleared the trees and burnt the plain before building streets, sewer and water services, electricity, and buildings over an area of 80 km (31 sq mi). The camp was bisected with named avenues and numbered streets having innumerable quonset huts , mess halls, warehouses, canteens, and other buildings. At one point during its construction period,

2000-462: The site persisted as a Provincial Warning Centre (for Nova Scotia), staffed by the 720 Communication Squadron, along with the space for the emergency government. Antenna farms were dispersed from the bunker and were located on the shores of Cobequid Bay in nearby Masstown as well as in the Cobequid Hills near Londonderry . On February 1, 1968, the merger of the three service branches into

2050-682: The term "aerodrome" (or "airfield") remains more common in Commonwealth English , and is conversely almost unknown in American English , where the term "airport" is applied almost exclusively. A water aerodrome is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes or amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. In formal terminology, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an aerodrome

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2100-479: The terms airport and aerodrome are often interchanged. However, in general, the term airport may imply or confer a certain stature upon the aviation facility that other aerodromes may not have achieved. In some jurisdictions, airport is a legal term of art reserved exclusively for those aerodromes certified or licensed as airports by the relevant civil aviation authority after meeting specified certification criteria or regulatory requirements. An air base

2150-539: The terms airfield or airport mostly superseded use of aerodrome after the Second World War, in colloquial language. In the early days of aviation, when there were no paved runways and all landing fields were grass, a typical airfield might permit takeoffs and landings in only a couple of directions, much like today's airports, whereas an aerodrome was distinguished, by virtue of its much greater size, by its ability to handle landings and takeoffs in any direction. The ability to always take off and land directly into

2200-484: The unified Canadian Forces saw the end of flight operations at the Debert aerodrome and in 1971 the Department of National Defence designated 4,800 acres (19 km), consisting of the aerodrome and the majority of the training area used by the former Camp Debert, as surplus. The provincial government purchased this land for development into the "Debert Air Industrial Park" while the aerodrome continues to be used as

2250-447: The wind, regardless of the wind's direction, was an important advantage in the earliest days of aviation when an airplane's performance in a crosswind takeoff or landing might be poor or even dangerous. The development of differential braking in aircraft, improved aircraft performance, utilization of paved runways, and the fact that a circular aerodrome required much more space than did the "L" or triangle shaped airfield, eventually made

2300-477: Was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facility which was capable of supporting 350 people for 90 days. These blast shelters , nicknamed " Diefenbunkers ", were administered by the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals . Opening in 1964, the Debert facility was already outdated, since ICBM targeting had improved to the point where a direct hit was possible on the bunker. However

2350-528: Was disbanded after Japan's surrender in September. RCAF Station Debert closed soon after but was still owned and maintained by the RCAF. In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed as RCAF Aerodrome - Debert, Nove Scotia at 45°25′N 63°28′W  /  45.417°N 63.467°W  / 45.417; -63.467 with a variation of 24 degrees west and elevation of 130 ft (40 m). The field

2400-418: Was listed as "All hard surfaced" and had three runways listed as follows: The relief landing field for RCAF Station Debert was located near the village of Maitland . In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed as RCAF Aerodrome - Maitland, Nova Scotia at 45°20′N 63°32′W  /  45.333°N 63.533°W  / 45.333; -63.533 with a variation of 23.5 degrees west and no elevation

2450-540: Was reactivated and hosted several active army units during the 1950s. The regiments are listed in chronological order from date of arrival: In the fall of 1938 the Royal Air Force (RAF) purchased land for constructing an aerodrome on the north shore of Cobequid Bay near the farming community of Debert. Construction of the aerodrome, which would host the RAF's No. 31 Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.) , began in

2500-509: Was specified. The field was listed as "Hard under construction" and had one runway listed as follows:: Following the closure, the aerodrome at Debert underwent some downsizing but continued to support active flight operations as a training, refuelling, and maintenance base until 1954 even though no operational squadrons were stationed there. In 1960, the RCAF transferred its aerodrome to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) which used

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