Debert, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Debert is an unincorporated farming community in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
. It is located approximately 20 km west of the town of Truro
. The Village of Debert is home to two churches, Baptist and United, plus a Fellowship Center, as well as a gas station and two garages. There are two stores in the village and a fire station. Located on the old Army Base, is a Hospitality Center.
Situated near coal
and iron
ore deposits, Debert was established on the Halifax-Montreal mainline of the Intercolonial Railway of Canada
in the 1870s.
During the Second World War Debert was the location of the Debert Military Camp
and RCAF Station Debert
. Camp Debert was a large army facility capable of accommodating division-size units where personnel received training prior to deployment to Europe. RCAF Station Debert was used as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
facility which saw pilots and aircrew from Commonwealth nations trained for military service.
Demobilization of the military during the post-war brought about many other changes at Camp Debert with many of the barrack buildings and workshops being demolished. Many materials were salvaged from the demolition and reused to help construct numerous new homes in the nearby village of Debert and throughout this part of Colchester County.
For a brief period shortly after the war, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College
operated out of the old Camp Debert hospital. The temporary relocation of NSAC resulted from a major fire that had occurred at the principal campus in Bible Hill
, which destroyed many barns and academic facilities.
Camp Debert's role as a training facility was eliminated in the early 1950s with the opening of the much larger Camp Gagetown
in New Brunswick. The airfield
was downgraded at this time to an adjunct facility for RCAF Station Shearwater.
A new lease on life was given to the military facility in the early 1960s when Camp Debert was chosen as the location for a Regional Emergency Government Headquarters, also known as a "Diefenbunker
". This facility became the focus of the newly formed CFS Debert
by the late 1960s.
The primary unit attached to CFS Debert was the 720 Communications Squadron, which maintained the REGHQ and provided communications support to Canadian Forces
units throughout Atlantic Canada and around the world. Substantial antenna facilities were constructed close to the nearby villages of Masstown
and Great Village
to support the military operations at CFS Debert, providing worldwide radio communications.
In 1971 the aerodrome and training facilities were declared surplus and were purchased by the provincial government to create the "Debert Air Industrial Park" as well as a municipal airfield.
CFS Debert
was closed in the mid-1990s and decommissioned in 1998 with remaining site facilities being transferred to a local development authority named "Colchester Park". The ongoing residual military communications role of Debert was transferred to the transmitter/receiver facility near Great Village.
The Debert Airfield is now also the location of Royal Canadian Air Cadet Summer Glider Scholarship program for the Atlantic region. More than 50 cadets earn their Transport Canada Glider Pilot License during a 6 week course each summer. The Debert airfield also offers the Advanced Aviation Course through Royal Canadian Air Cadet's as of summer 2011.
farm
. Researchers from Saint Mary's University were requested to conduct a thorough archeological excavation on the site. Preliminary reports suggested that the site held evidence of human activity that pre-dated any other sites found within the northern part of Nova Scotia.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. It is located approximately 20 km west of the town of Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
. The Village of Debert is home to two churches, Baptist and United, plus a Fellowship Center, as well as a gas station and two garages. There are two stores in the village and a fire station. Located on the old Army Base, is a Hospitality Center.
Situated near coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
ore deposits, Debert was established on the Halifax-Montreal mainline of the Intercolonial Railway of Canada
Intercolonial Railway of Canada
The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway , was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways...
in the 1870s.
Military history
- For more information, consult the main CFS DebertCFS DebertCanadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
article.
During the Second World War Debert was the location of the Debert Military Camp
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
and RCAF Station Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
. Camp Debert was a large army facility capable of accommodating division-size units where personnel received training prior to deployment to Europe. RCAF Station Debert was used as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
facility which saw pilots and aircrew from Commonwealth nations trained for military service.
Demobilization of the military during the post-war brought about many other changes at Camp Debert with many of the barrack buildings and workshops being demolished. Many materials were salvaged from the demolition and reused to help construct numerous new homes in the nearby village of Debert and throughout this part of Colchester County.
For a brief period shortly after the war, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College
Nova Scotia Agricultural College
Nova Scotia Agricultural College is a Canadian university college located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, a village near the town of Truro. NSAC was officially founded February 14, 1905. In the early years, NSAC focused on educating farmers in aspects of field and animal husbandry...
operated out of the old Camp Debert hospital. The temporary relocation of NSAC resulted from a major fire that had occurred at the principal campus in Bible Hill
Bible Hill, Nova Scotia
Bible Hill is a Canadian village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia. It lies on the north bank of the Salmon River, opposite the town of Truro.Bible Hill functions as a suburb of Truro with several residential subdivisions...
, which destroyed many barns and academic facilities.
Camp Debert's role as a training facility was eliminated in the early 1950s with the opening of the much larger Camp Gagetown
CFB Gagetown
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, referred to as CFB Gagetown is a large Canadian Forces Base located in southwestern New Brunswick.- Construction of the base :...
in New Brunswick. The airfield
Debert Airport
Debert Airport is located near Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada and has three runways.It was established in 1941 as RCAF Station Debert and was used during World War II as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facility for training aircrew....
was downgraded at this time to an adjunct facility for RCAF Station Shearwater.
A new lease on life was given to the military facility in the early 1960s when Camp Debert was chosen as the location for a Regional Emergency Government Headquarters, also known as a "Diefenbunker
Diefenbunker
Emergency Government Headquarters are nuclear fallout bunkers built by the Government of Canada at the height of the Cold War during the infancy of the ICBM threat...
". This facility became the focus of the newly formed CFS Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
by the late 1960s.
The primary unit attached to CFS Debert was the 720 Communications Squadron, which maintained the REGHQ and provided communications support to Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
units throughout Atlantic Canada and around the world. Substantial antenna facilities were constructed close to the nearby villages of Masstown
Masstown, Nova Scotia
Masstown is a farming community located approximately 17 kilometers from Truro, Nova Scotia.-Historic background:Masstown has its beginnings with French settlers, known as Acadians. They first settled in this area near the Cobequid Bay in 1705. The Acadian culture consisted primarily of farming...
and Great Village
Great Village, Nova Scotia
Great Village is a community of approximately 500 people located along Trunk 2 and the north shore of Cobequid Bay in Colchester County Nova Scotia...
to support the military operations at CFS Debert, providing worldwide radio communications.
In 1971 the aerodrome and training facilities were declared surplus and were purchased by the provincial government to create the "Debert Air Industrial Park" as well as a municipal airfield.
CFS Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
was closed in the mid-1990s and decommissioned in 1998 with remaining site facilities being transferred to a local development authority named "Colchester Park". The ongoing residual military communications role of Debert was transferred to the transmitter/receiver facility near Great Village.
The Debert Airfield is now also the location of Royal Canadian Air Cadet Summer Glider Scholarship program for the Atlantic region. More than 50 cadets earn their Transport Canada Glider Pilot License during a 6 week course each summer. The Debert airfield also offers the Advanced Aviation Course through Royal Canadian Air Cadet's as of summer 2011.
Paleo-Indian discovery
In 1994, a significant paleo-indian site was discovered on the grounds of the old military camp by a private contractor who was preparing a plot of land to be used as a treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. Researchers from Saint Mary's University were requested to conduct a thorough archeological excavation on the site. Preliminary reports suggested that the site held evidence of human activity that pre-dated any other sites found within the northern part of Nova Scotia.