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| CFB Summerside | |
|---|---|
| Name | Summerside Air Station |
| Native name | RCAF Station Summerside |
| Location | Summerside, Prince Edward Island |
| Coordinates | 46.3936°N 63.7781°W |
| Type | Air base |
| Built | 1940 |
| Used | 1940–1991 |
| Occupants | Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Forces |
CFB Summerside was a Canadian air station on Prince Edward Island near Summerside, Prince Edward Island that operated from 1940 until closure in 1991. It served as a training field and maritime aviation base, hosting units associated with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Forces and cooperating with allied formations such as the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. The site later transitioned to civilian use as an airport and industrial park with heritage recognition from bodies including the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation.
RCAF presence at Summerside began during World War II with construction as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and expansion tied to the Battle of the Atlantic and North Atlantic convoy protection. Postwar reorganization saw integration into the Royal Canadian Air Force peacetime order and later into the unified Canadian Forces structure after the 1968 unification reforms under Minister of National Defence Paul Hellyer. The base participated in Cold War maritime surveillance during periods of tension including operations related to the Cuban Missile Crisis and NATO commitments tied to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The 1991 federal defence review led by ministers such as Perrin Beatty and influenced by fiscal policy under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney culminated in the decision to close the station, mirroring other closures like CFB Chatham and CFB Rockcliffe.
Units based at the station included training squadrons from the No. 1 Air Navigation School and operational squadrons such as units flying the Avro Lancaster (civilian conversions), Lockheed P2V Neptune, and later the CP-121 Tracker and CH-113 Labrador helicopters. The station supported search and rescue missions coordinated with Search and Rescue Regions of Canada and collaborated with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on coastal surveillance and rescue operations. Exercises with Royal Canadian Navy surface units and joint training with United States Navy maritime patrol assets were routine, and the base hosted detachments during NATO exercises like Operation Ocean Safari and combined operations alongside the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Air Force Coastal Command.
Infrastructure included multiple runways, a control tower, hangars adapted from British Commonwealth Air Training Plan standards, ammunition storage complying with Department of National Defence regulations, fuel farms, and marine support piers for seaplane operations. Technical facilities supported avionics maintenance for aircraft types including the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo, CF-100 Canuck components, and Sikorsky H-34 rotary-wing systems. On-base support installations comprised married quarters aligned with Canadian Forces Housing Agency practices, a base hospital modeled after Canadian Forces Health Services clinics, and recreational amenities patterned after those at CFB Trenton and CFB Halifax.
Following closure, the airfield and adjacent lands were transferred to regional authorities and redeveloped into the Summerside Airport (formerly the air station) and the Summerside Industrial Park with enterprises linked to Aerospace Industries Association of Canada members and local firms. Economic redevelopment involved stakeholders such as the Prince Edward Island Provincial Government, City of Summerside, and federal agencies like Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Adaptive reuse projects mirrored initiatives at former bases like CFB Moncton and included conversion of hangars for light manufacturing, offices for technology companies, and facilities for Atlantic Lottery Corporation partnerships. Land use planning engaged with organizations such as Town of Summerside Planning Department and regional redevelopment corporations modeled on the Cape Breton Regional Municipality strategies.
The airfield comprised asphalt runways suitable for types from Avro Anson trainers to contemporary turboprops and business jets. Navigational aids historically included Non-directional beacon installations and later VOR/DME systems integrated with Nav Canada air traffic services. The field hosted civilian charters and scheduled services operated by carriers such as Air Canada Jazz affiliates and supported medevac flights coordinated with Health PEI and Transport Canada rules. Flight training enterprises established post-closure followed regulatory frameworks similar to Canadian Owners and Pilots Association guidelines and used aircraft types like the Cessna 172 and Piper PA-28 Cherokee for initial pilot instruction.
The base sat within the Gulf of Saint Lawrence ecosystem, adjacent to habitats for species monitored by Environment and Climate Change Canada and regional conservation groups including the Prince Edward Island Natural History Society. Environmental assessments addressed impacts on wetlands and coastal zones under frameworks akin to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and habitat protections aligned with the Species at Risk Act for migratory birds. Remediation projects tackled fuel-contaminated soils and managed stormwater to protect nearby estuaries and fisheries overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and local shellfish harvesters. Biodiversity studies referenced regional work by researchers from University of Prince Edward Island and collaborative monitoring with Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University.
Heritage efforts have preserved hangars, memorial plaques, and artefacts in institutions such as the Confederation Centre of the Arts and the Prince Edward Island Railway Museum. Veteran organizations including the Royal Canadian Legion and the Air Force Association of Canada conducted commemorative services on anniversaries connected to D-Day remembrance and Battle of the Atlantic observances. Archival records are held by the Library and Archives Canada and provincial archives like the Public Archives and Records Office (Prince Edward Island), while oral histories were collected in partnership with academics from Memorial University of Newfoundland and community historians linked to the Summerside Historical Society.
Category:Royal Canadian Air Force stations Category:Military history of Prince Edward Island