View source for CFB Halifax

{{Short description|Naval base in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Canadian Forces Base Halifax
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| location = [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
| nearest_town = <!-- used in military test site infobox -->
| country = [[Canada]]
| image = 426 - Halifax NS.JPG
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| caption= {{HMCS|Fredericton|FFH 337|6}} docked at His Majesty's Canadian Dockyard Halifax
| image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields -->
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| coordinates = {{Coord|44|39|23.63|N|63|34|44.69|W|type:landmark_region:CA-NS|display=inline,title}}
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| ownership = [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]]
| operator = [[Royal Canadian Navy]]
| controlledby = [[Maritime Forces Atlantic]]
| open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities - radar types etc -->  
| site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
| code = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
| built = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY}} -->
| used = <!--{{End date|1946}} -->
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| current_commander = [[Ship-of-the-line captain#Canada|Captain(N)]] Annick Fortin
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group -->
| occupants = <!-- squadrons only -->
| website = http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/about/structure-marlant-units.page
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'''Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax''' is [[Canada]]'s east coast [[naval base]] and home port to the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the [[formation (military)|formation]] [[Maritime Forces Atlantic|Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT)]].

It is the largest [[Canadian Forces Base]] in terms of the number of posted personnel<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Military in Nova Scotia - Key Facts {{!}} novascotia.ca |url=https://novascotia.ca/iga/milrelkey.asp#:~:text=Today,%20Nova%20Scotia%20is%20home,headquarters%20for%20Maritime%20Forces%20Atlantic. |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=novascotia.ca}}</ref> and is formed from an amalgamation of military properties situated around the strategic [[Halifax Harbour]] in [[Nova Scotia]].

=={{ucfirst:{{Canadian monarch, current|genderp=~}}}} Majesty's Canadian Dockyard (HMC Dockyard Halifax)==
===History===
HMC Dockyard Halifax was acquired by the Canadian government from the [[Royal Navy]] following the withdrawal of British military forces from Canada in 1906. Prior to 1906, it was known as [[Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax]] and is one of the oldest defence establishments in Canada, having been established by the Royal Navy during the 18th century as HM Dockyard. While awaiting transfer to Canada, the dockyard fell into disrepair. The dockyard was formally taken over from the British government by Canada in 1910, with no changes to the layout. The dockyard in 1910 comprised a naval hospital, a blacksmith shop, workshops, three [[slipway]]s, five [[Jetty|jetties]], residences, coal and victualling stores and 75 other miscellaneous buildings.<ref name=crowdec53>{{cite magazine |title=Gateway to the North Atlantic |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |date=December 1953 |volume=6 |number=2 |pages=4–6}}</ref>

During [[World War I]], the dockyard underwent significant expansion, acting as headquarters for the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and as the North American headquarters for the Royal Navy. During the 1917 [[Halifax Explosion]], the dockyard was severely damaged, with many of its buildings demolished. New ones were swiftly erected for the war effort. However, following the end of the war in 1918, the number of dockyard staff was reduced significantly.<ref name=crowdec53/>

In 1939, the dockyards were extended to the north and south. With the onset of [[World War II]], this was still not large enough and the lands of the French Cable Company in [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] were acquired and integrated into the base. In 1942, the Royal Canadian Navy acquired the Army Ordnance Depot in Dartmouth and an area on the east side of [[Bedford Basin]] was turned into an ammunition depot. During the war, new construction replaced nearly every building that had existed prior to the war. HMC Dockyard encompassed {{convert|1255|acre|order=flip}} after all the acquisitions. In 1943, the dockyard's lands were augmented with property in [[Renous-Quarryville|Renous, New Brunswick]] and another ammunition depot at [[Newcastle, New Brunswick]]. The Army Gun Wharf in Halifax became the victualling depot and two communications stations were established, one at [[Albro Lake, Nova Scotia|Albro]] and one at [[Newport Corner, Nova Scotia|Newport Corners]]. The barracks building that became {{HMCS|Scotian}} was erected during the war.<ref name=crowdec53/>

In 1948, the [[Maritime Museum of the Atlantic]] was established on the premises of the dockyard. In the 1950s, an Underwater Training Unit, the School of ABCD Warfare and the Damage Control School were under the administration of HMCS ''Stadacona'' and operated out of dockyard facilities. The dockyard maintained a 35-ton lift crane on Jetty 3, a 45-ton lift crane on Jetty 4 and a 50-ton lift crane on the Gun Wharf. In 1953, a seaward defence base was constructed between Pier "B" and the [[yacht]] anchorage in the south end of Halifax.<ref name=crowdec53/>

===Current status===
HMC Dockyard Halifax is located on the western side of [[Halifax Harbour]] at the southern end of [[The Narrows]]. It hosts the headquarters of [[Maritime Forces Atlantic]] (MARLANT), the formal name for the Atlantic Fleet.  HMC Dockyard Halifax contains berths for Canadian and foreign warships, Formation Supply Facility, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott, shore-based training facilities as well as operations buildings for MARLANT and other organizations such as [[Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax]] (JRCC Halifax).

HMC Dockyard Halifax also has an adjunct facility directly across the harbour on the Dartmouth shoreline with jetties and various buildings, including [[Defence Research and Development Canada#Centres|Defence Research and Development Canada – Atlantic]].

HMC Dockyard Halifax maintains exclusive control of several anchorage areas within the limits of Halifax Harbour and prevents civilian vessels from sailing in the vicinity of military facilities; a [[Boom (navigational barrier)|floating force protection boom system]] was constructed to prevent small vessels from unauthorized passage near [[warship]]s and pierside facilities.

The original Naval Yard clock has been restored and moved to the Halifax Ferry Terminal entrance while the original Naval Yard bell is preserved at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, a museum which also features a large diorama depicting the Naval Yard in 1813 at its height in the [[Age of Sail]]. The dockyard was designated a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site of Canada]] in 1923,<ref>{{CRHP|16146|Halifax Dockyard National Historic Site of Canada|9 March 2013}}</ref> while Admiralty House was designated a National Historic Site in 1978.<ref>{{CRHP|2629|Admiralty House National Historic Site of Canada|22 August 2012}}</ref>

==Stadacona==

Stadacona, referred to as HMCS ''Stadacona'' before 1968 and frequently referred to as "Stad", is an adjunct to HMC Dockyard located west of the waterfront in the [[North End, Halifax|North End]] of the [[Halifax Peninsula|Halifax peninsula]]. Prior to the arrival of the French, the location that would become [[Quebec]] was the home of a small [[Iroquois]] village called "[[Stadacona]]", after which the base is named.<ref>Bumsted, J. M. Canada's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2003. 35.</ref> Stadacona contains the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School (with facilities at [[Herring Cove, Nova Scotia|Herring Cove]]/[[York Redoubt]], south of Halifax), the Canadian Forces Naval Operations School, the base hospital, the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre, and various [[mess]]es. Stadacona is also home to the headquarters of [[Land Force Atlantic Area|5th Canadian Division]] and the [[Maritime Command Museum]].

Stadacona was built as the [[British Army]]'s [[Wellington Barracks (Halifax, Nova Scotia)|Wellington Barracks]], later known as the Nelson Barracks, as part of the Halifax Defence Complex.  The British military forces departed from Canada in 1906.  During World War II, the Royal Canadian Navy appropriated the site from the army and it was transformed into HMCS ''Stadacona''.

<gallery>
File:CFB Halifax.jpg|Stadacona Entrance. Building demolished in March 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/commissionaires-may-be-affected-in-deep-dnd-cuts-1.1328490 |title=Commissionaires may be affected in 'deep' DND cuts |work=CBC News |date=22 February 2013 |access-date=2 April 2023}}</ref>
File:Wellington Barracks Stadacona.jpg|Wellington Barracks
File:Murray Building CFB Halifax.jpg|[[Leonard W. Murray]] (Naval Fleet School (Atlantic)) Building, CFB Halifax
File:ShannonStadaconaHalifaxNovaScotiaCanada2.JPG| Gravestones for casualties of HMS ''Shannon''{{'}}s [[Capture of USS Chesapeake|Capture of USS ''Chesapeake'']],  [[Royal Navy Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia)|Royal Navy Burying Ground]]
File:Battle Of Trafalgar By William Lionel Wyllie, Juno Tower, CFB Halifax Nova Scotia.jpg|[[Battle of Trafalgar]] mural by [[William Lionel Wyllie]], Juno Tower
File:LlandoveryCastlePlaqueCFBHalifax.jpg|{{ship|HMHS|Llandovery Castle}} (210 dead, 24 survivors, June 1918) plaque, Stadacona Health Centre
File:LadyNelsonCommemorationStadaconaHospitalCFBHalifax.jpg|{{HMCS|Lady Nelson}} - returned 25,000 wounded from battlefront in Second World War, Commemoration Display, Stadacona Health Centre
File:Queens Steps, 1 Aug. 1959,Stadacona, CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia copy.jpg|"Queen's Steps", staircase used by [[Royal tours of Canada by the Canadian Royal Family|Queen Elizabeth II on the day she departed Canada]], 1 August 1959, CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia
</gallery>

===Historic structures===

====Admiralty's Residence====
[[File:Admiralty House Halifax.jpg|thumb|Admiralty House, Halifax (1819)]]
Almost all the original Royal Navy 18th and 19th century buildings were demolished in World War II to make way for machine shops, stores buildings and drill halls needed to man and maintain the hundreds of [[corvette]]s being [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] during the crash expansion of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic. Only one residence from 1814 and the Admiral's Residence from 1819 survived. The Admiral's residence (Admiralty House) is now the [[Naval Museum of Halifax]].

====Wellington Barracks====
Wellington Barracks, also known as Wellington House is located next to the former parade square within CFB Halifax. It was constructed by the [[Royal Engineers]] between 1852 and 1860 and is of [[Neoclassicism|neoclassical]] design.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=16584 |title=Historic Places: Wellington Barracks |work=Canada's Historic Places |access-date=2 April 2023}}</ref>

====Wellington Gate====
[[File:WellingtonGateCFBHalifaxNovaScotia.jpg|thumb|Wellington Gate, Göttingen Street (1850)]]
Wellington Gate was created in 1850 and named after [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]]. The gate is lined on either side with two columns listing the battle honours of the [[Royal Canadian Regiment]], which was stationed at Wellington Barracks for several years.

====Admiralty Garden====
[[File:AdmiraltyGardenCFBHalifax.jpg|thumb|Admiralty Garden CFB Halifax]]
The Admiralty Garden was created c. 1814 and has plaques and monuments displayed to honour persons and mark events, significant to Halifax's naval history. In 1972 the "Wall of Valour" was created to recognize the bravery decorations awarded to regular and reserve members of the Royal Canadian Navy.

There are a series plaques of [[Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada]].
[[File:GeorgeAugustusWestphal.JPG|thumb|Plaque commemorating [[George Augustus Westphal]] who participated in the [[Battle of Trafalgar]]]]

==== Faith Centre ====
[[File:FaithCentrePlaquesCFBHalifax.jpg|thumb|South row of Faith Centre plaques, CFB Halifax]]
[[File:Faith Centre Plaques, CFB Halifax 2.jpg|thumb|East row of Faith Centre plaques, CFB Halifax]]
[[File:HMCS Shawinigan window CFB Halifax.jpg|Window for {{HMCS|Shawinigan|K136|6}}|thumb]]
[[File:HMS Good Hope plaque CFB Halifax.jpg|{{HMS|Good Hope|1901|6}} commemorating the first four casualties of the RCN<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gwpda.org/naval/j0500001.htm |title=First Canadian Casualties in the RCN |publisher=The War at Sea |date=24 December 2001 |access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref> at the [[Battle of Coronel]] in 1914|thumb]]
The Faith Centre has numerous plaques and [[stained glass]] windows that are dedicated to naval personnel who died in service aboard Canadian warships.

==== Royal Navy Burying Ground ====
[[File:ShannonStadaconaHalifaxNovaScotiaCanada2.JPG|thumb|Royal Navy Burial Ground – Gravestones for the casualties of the {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|6}} (left) and {{HMS|Shannon|1806|6}} (right), CFB Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
The [[Royal Navy Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia)|Royal Navy Burying Ground]] at Halifax has monuments to those served and lost in the medical facility as a result of capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' by HMS ''Shannon''. There are 84 grave markers, but as many as 500 people buried.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/unmarked-graves-sought-in-navy-cemetery-1.1097276 |title=Unmarked graves sought in navy cemetery |work=CBC |date=18 July 2011 |access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchronicleco27londiala|title=The Naval chronicle : containing a general and biographical history of the royal navy of the United kingdom with a variety of original papers on nautical subjects|publisher=London : J. Gold|access-date=9 December 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchroniclefounse_1|title=The Naval Chronicle, for 1813: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom; with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Under the Guidance of Several Literary and Professional Men. Vol. XXIX. (from January to June.)|date=9 December 2017|publisher=Joyce Gold|access-date=9 December 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="London : J. Gold">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchronicleco30londiala|title=The Naval chronicle : containing a general and biographical history of the royal navy of the United kingdom with a variety of original papers on nautical subjects|publisher=London : J. Gold|access-date=9 December 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Shearwater Heliport==
[[CFB Shearwater|Shearwater Heliport]] is an airfield located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the community of [[Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia|Eastern Passage]] that supports [[Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone|CH-148 Cyclone]] helicopters used on the RCN's warships based at CFB Halifax.

Formerly a separate base known as [[CFB Shearwater]], the airfield was realigned as part of CFB Halifax during the mid-1990s.  12 Wing, a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] unit that reports to [[1 Canadian Air Division]], is the primary user of Shearwater Heliport and is headquartered there.  DND properties that were formerly aligned to CFB Shearwater, such as the Hartlen Point Golf Course and the Shearwater Jetty, are now part of CFB Halifax.

12 Wing operates from two locations with four squadrons:

* Shearwater Heliport
**[[406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron]] is an operational training squadron for training all maritime helicopter aircrew in the Canadian Forces.
**[[423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron]] is an operational squadron at Shearwater Heliport which provides [[CH-148 Cyclone]] helicopters for Maritime Forces Atlantic warships.
**12 Air Maintenance Squadron provides aircraft maintenance and engineering support to 12 Wing's operational squadrons.
**Helicopter Operational Evaluation and Test Facility (HOTEF) is responsible for researching and testing state-of-the-art equipment for the CH-148 Cyclone to enable crews to operate efficiently, ashore or while deployed.
* [[Victoria International Airport|Patricia Bay Heliport]]
** [[443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron]] is an operational squadron which provides CH-148 Cyclone helicopters for Maritime Forces Pacific warships.

==Royal Artillery Park==
[[File:Cambridge Military Library Halifax Nova Scotia.jpg|thumbnail|[[Cambridge Military Library]], Royal Artillery Park]]
[[Royal Artillery Park (Halifax)|Royal Artillery Park]] is a military park, which is part of CFB Halifax. In the far corner of the Royal Artillery Park, is a diminutive red brick building, the [[Cambridge Military Library]]. This building was the social and literary centre of military Halifax. The Library opened in 1817 at Grafton Street, as an alternative to the more notorious choices of city entertainment. It moved to its present location in Royal Artillery Park in 1886 and was renamed Cambridge Military Library in 1902. The library was funded in part from Customs receipts collected by the British Army during its occupation of the port of Castine, Maine, during the War of 1812.

==CFAD Bedford==
The Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot Bedford, informally referred to as the "Bedford Magazine", is a major Canadian Forces property occupying the entire northern shore of [[Bedford Basin]].  It houses all of the ordnance for MARLANT vessels and has a loading jetty and several nearby anchorages.

==HMCS ''Trinity''==

HMCS ''Trinity'' is the organization housed at Stadacona which is tasked with maintaining MARLANT communications with vessels and other Canadian Forces and allied units, as well as developing strategic and tactical operational intelligence for unit commanders.

HMCS ''Trinity'' operates two remote radio transmitter/receiver stations near Halifax:
* [[Naval Radio Station Newport Corner]]
* [[Naval Radio Station Mill Cove]]

==Windsor Park==
Windsor Park contains the Military Police Unit (Halifax), Health Promotion Services (PSP), Integrated Personnel Service Centre (IPSC), the Military Family Resource Centre, the Stadacona Band, CFB Halifax Curling Club, [[3 Intelligence Company]] Headquarters as well as the Canex.

==Housing==
Housing for CFB Halifax is provided to Canadian Forces personnel and their dependants at Windsor Park, a housing area built by the [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]] in the [[West End, Halifax|West End]] of Halifax.  Stadacona is home to Tribute Tower, a barracks for JR Ranks members. Base housing also used to be provided at [[Shannon Park, Nova Scotia|Shannon Park]] and [[Wallis Heights, Nova Scotia|Wallis Heights]] in the North End of Dartmouth, however with defence cutbacks in the 1990s, this area has been sold for civilian use. Housing is available at the [[12 Wing Shearwater]] site, which is part of CFB Halifax.  A large number of service personnel own or rent civilian property in the area.

==CFB Halifax Emergency Services==

The base is equipped with their own fire and rescue service with mostly land based vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://truckfax.blogspot.com/2012/09/cfb-halifax-fire-apparatus.html|title=Truckfax: CFB Halifax Fire Apparatus|date=21 September 2012}}</ref> [[Royal Canadian Navy]] ships are also equipped to fight fires including tugs with the auxiliary branch.
The City of Halifax's [[Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency]] can provide additional marine fire support if needed.

==Commemorations and monuments==
* [[Wallis Heights, Nova Scotia]], and Provo Wallis St. is named after Nova Scotian [[Provo Wallis]]
* Stadacona is the indigenous name for Quebec City
* Monuments in the graveyard to {{HMS|Shannon|1806|6}} and USS ''Chesapeake''
* Wellington Barracks named after [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]], renamed Nelson Barracks named after [[Horatio Nelson]]
* Shannon Park is named after HMS ''Shannon''
* the Murray Building (Naval Fleet School(Atlantic)) is named after Admiral [[Leonard W. Murray]]
* the Carroll Building (Naval Fleet School(Atlantic)) is named after Lieutenant-Commander [[George Alvin Carroll]] (1921– 1963), born [[Stockton, Manitoba]], [[Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Medal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcnvr.com/C%20-%20RCN%20-%20WWII.php |title=Carroll |publisher=Awards to the Royal Canadian Navy |access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref>
* Lady Nelson Road is named after {{HMCS|Lady Nelson}} that was hit by {{GS|U-161|1941|2}}<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/1418.html
|title=Lady Nelson (Canadian Steam passenger ship)
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
|access-date=21 October 2014
}}</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category}}
{{Portal|Canada}}
* [[Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax]]
*[[Military history of Nova Scotia]]
*[[History of the Royal Canadian Navy]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/about/structure-marlant-home.page MARLANT – Maritime Forces Atlantic, CFB Halifax]

{{Royal Canadian Navy}}
{{Canadian Forces Bases}}
{{Nova Scotia parks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halifax, CFB}}
[[Category:Canadian Forces bases in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia|CFB]]
[[Category:Canadian Forces Navy bases in Canada]]