The Penhold air cadet camp, which has trained thousands upon thousands of young people over the years, will close after the 2014 season.
The former Canadian Forces Base Penhold, which was one of the smallest bases in the armed forces, has hosted the largest air cadet camp in Canada with about 2,500 cadets each year since 1966.
The Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre near Springbrook will shut down next year after cadets gather in Penhold for the last time.
Stan Monkman, Air Cadet League of Canada central zone director, says the summer of 2014 will be the last that cadets travel to the former base.
“After all these years, Penhold will be shutting down as far as cadets are concerned,” Monkman said of the camp that cycles through cadets in two and four-week stints.
“Infrastructure is at this point in time too costly to maintain. So rather than spending a whole bunch of money they have decided to close the camp instead.”
The cadet training centre was leased every year by the Canadian Department of National Defence, Monkman said. Some years ago the department sold the buildings and then leased them back.
After the summer of 2014, the air cadet courses will be spread out between bases at Cold Lake, Dundurn, Sask., and Vernon, B.C.
This summer cadets arrive at the Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre on July 8 with courses to follow on July 9.
The cadets, ages 12-18, will take leadership, drill and music courses and some senior cadets will take instructional techniques and ceremonial courses.
The cadets that will attend the Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre camp have been notified about their acceptance after submitting an application in February and March.
“They are getting pretty excited about this,” Monkman said.
“For the cadets it is super experience because now they are on their own and will get a taste of military life.
“When they get up at 7 a.m. they make their beds, clean their rooms, march to breakfast and march to classes. They have to do their laundry and ironing and conduct themselves like young ladies and gentleman.”
Starting two weeks after the beginning of camp, there will be graduation parades and ceremonies at the Penhold base, which are conducted by the cadets themselves. The ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. on July 20, July 27, Aug. 3 and Aug 17.
Monkman said there will be a large parade on Aug. 17 with about 900 to 1,000 cadets participating.
jjones@www.reddeeradvocate.com