Aerial Photo of RCAF Station Sea Island, August 1945
(Frank Honey)
RCAF Station Sea Island was established beside the Vancouver Airport on July 22, 1940 under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan as No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School.
In June 1942, aerodrome defence platoons were established on Canada’s West Coast as part of the West Coast Air Defence Command.
Army Camps
Army Camps on Sea Island, 1937
(Harvey Stewart)
The Permanent Married Quarters (PMQs) for families of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) were located on Sea Island’s East and West Boulevard, off Doherty and Airport Road. A few hutments (encampments of huts) for army service personnel were also located off McDonald and Grauer Road on Sea Island. The hutments consisted of 60’ x 24’ wood, tar-paper sheathed huts, some with cedar shingle siding.
Grant Thompson said that the army camp off Doherty Road was still there well in the 1950's because Jim Neilson, a former resident of Sea Island, lived there until they were able to move into the new RCAF PMQs which were built during the Korean War (1950-1953).
Squadrons
Through the RCAF and National Defence and Canadian Forces Directorate of History and Heritage and other resources, the Sea Island Heritage Society has been able to document the history of a number of squadrons created or stationed at RCAF Station Sea Island.
Click any of the cards below to learn more about each squadron and their role at RCAF Station Sea Island.
Closure of RCAF Station Sea Island
RCAF Station Sea Island parking map from the Station Sea Island Air Force Day Program, 1958
(RCAF/Sergeant René Bousquet)
After World War II, RCAF Station Sea Island was renamed RCAF Station Vancouver.
When the Canadian military reorganized and consolidated services in the 1960's, several military bases were downsized, merged or closed as a result. RCAF Station Sea Island closed on March 31, 1964.
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