Eastern Alberta's Best Kept Secret!

The Municipal District of Wainwright No. 61, in the heart of Canada’s Old Northwest. Less than two hours from Edmonton, situated in east central Alberta, the MD of Wainwright is an area of diverse wealth both socially and economically, with agriculture and oil and gas industries within it's heart and a prairie history dating back to the pioneer days through ranching and buffalo.

The M.D. of Wainwright is comprised of a total area of 4134 square kilometres, containing 7 Divisions, has a population of 4,231, and is home to 641 farms that range in size from 10 to over 35000 acres, 3 hamlets, 3 villages (Chauvin, Edgerton & Irma) and the Town of Wainwright. The MD of Wainwright also features the Canadian Forces Base (Area Support Unit) Wainwright, covering an area of approx. 600 square kilometres.

The history of the Camp Wainwright is rich and colorful. First established as a refuge for nearly extinct buffalo, Camp Wainwright has continually grown in order to meet the changing needs of Canada’s Army. Nomadic tribes of Blackfoot and Cree Indians were the first to inhabit the area. European settlement began in the late 1800s, and the village of Denwood was established in 1905. Five years later, the Town of Wainwright was incorporated nearby.

The Camp was originally established in 1940 as a wartime ammunition and training facility. It then evolved into a Second World War Interment Camp for German Officer POWs and, following the outbreak of the Korean War, was used to train soldiers for Canada’ commitment to the United Nations Commonwealth Contingent. Camp Wainwright has since been used as an operational training detachment and battle school.

Commonly known as “Camp Wainwright”, CFB/ASU Wainwright consists of several distinct units, the most established being the Western Area Training Centre (WATC) and the newest being the Canadian Maneouver Training Centre (CMTC). Camp Wainwright has been, for some time, the primary training location for the Army units from western Canada (from Thunderbay to Victoria). It is also soon to be the Army's primary training location nationally.

The military footprint in the Wainwright community will significantly increase in the next two years in order to meet the future demands of the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC).

CMTC will have a significant impact on Camp Wainwright and the surrounding area. The base will once again reorganize, adopting a structure similar to an Area Support Unit, with CMTC, a Training Centre, and other lodger units.

By and large, this expansion is driven by the Army's plans to situate a new state of the art Weapons Effect Simulation facility at Wainwright.

The camp is supported by 742 Signals Squadron Detachment, 1 Field Ambulance Detachment, 1 Dental Detachment and a Military Police detachment. Approaximately 600 military and civilian personnel currently work at the camp. This will increase dramatically when CMTC is fully operational in early 2006 to approximately 600 military personel and 300 civilians. The transient military popoulation agverages ovrer 1,000 at any given time and in summer it grows significantly, when hundreds of Reservists learn essential military skills.

Camp Wainwright is continually striving to establish closer links with the local community and is actively involved in community initiatives with the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Board, Town Council and the MD of Wainwright. Many of Camp Wainwright’s members live in or near the Town of Wainwright and participate in many of the local community activities and events, including volunteering and raising money for charity. The extensive ranges and training areas on base are shared with the oil and gas industry, as well as hunters, agricultural groups and wildlife agencies. Members of the public are welcome to view the buffalo in the Bud Cotton Paddock, near the camp’s main gate, attend the numerous course graduation parades held throughout the year and attend various social, sports and selected military activies.

As the Canadian Army’s training needs continue to evolve, Camp Wainwright will continue meet those demands in both peace and war.

In 1997, Camp Wainwright and the PPCLI Battle School were reorganized into the Western Area Training Centre, commonly refered to as WATC. This amalgamation was designed to establish the Battle School’s training staff and the Camp’s support staff under a single chain of command in order to more efficiently run the Camp.

Military courses and Canadian and Foreign units continue to conduct combat field training year round, taking advantage of Camp Wainwright’s 620 square-kilometre training area and extensive live-fire practice failities.

Land Forces Western Area Training Centre (LFWA TC) conducts and supports a variety of existing training requirements of individuals and field units aqnd indeed will continue to conduct this formal recruit and advanced level training to students from across Western Canada, and support other training activities by CF and foreign military units.

Camp Briefs

Major Tom Newton
Briefing to Wainwright Chamber of Commerce
18 Nov 2004

CMTC is a new army unit, which is responsible to deliver this dynamic, specialized training. The computer and weapons system itself will simulate a large variety of weapons through use of laser technology, collect all engagement data, and provide after action reports and video on performance. This capability is a result of a 10 year, $137 million contract between DND and CUBIC Defence Applications. The primary aim of the project is to assist battle commanders to better achieve readiness of their soldiers and equipment before operational deployments. This expansion will include a significant growth in new infrastructure on Base, and also significant increase in permanent and transient military personnel both on Base and in the surrounding communities as a whole.

The premier Army training experience for all soldiers will occur at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) in Wainwright, Alberta. CMTC will prepare complete Battle Groups for operations using the fully instrumented Weapons Effects Simulation (WES) system. The Combat Training Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick, will also use a smaller, non-instrumented WES system to improve individual training courses.

CMTC was officially stood up in Wainwright in 2002. As of the summer of 2003, almost 30 personnel are working full time at the unit. Training at CMTC using the WES system is expected to commence in 2006.

The establishment of the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre; which will be operational in 2006, will bring more personnel to the Wainwright area and will enable Canadian Forces units to train in an even more realistic environment. The creation of CMTC, a national training unit whose primary purpose will be to prepare Canada soldiers for missions overseas. The new centre will use extremely sophisdticated laser and salellite techmology to simulate the effects of battle with amazing realism and specially constructed training sites, including four entire “villages,” to recreate the foreign enviroments in which the solidiers may find thenselves. All this represents an enormous commitment of people and resources to Camp Wainwright andthe surrounding community.

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The Weapon Effects Simulation (WES) System

Imagine up to 2100 soldiers and 700 vehicles, split into opposing forces, engaging each other with lasers to simulate real-life combat. That is exactly what WES is, the ultimate game of laser tag in Canada!

A live simulation system consisting of laser engagement devices and automatic data transfer and recording systems, WES will enable units to train faster to meet mission objectives, and will provide soldiers and tactical commanders with immediate feedback on their actions. Experience gained by our allies clearly demonstrates that the probability of mission success significantly increases by using a live simulation system like WES during pre-deployment training.

CUBIC Defense Applications of San Diego, California has been contracted to provide the WES system. Miniature computers integrated into every soldier's equipment and onto all vehicles, will give soldiers and their commanders instant feedback on the results of each laser or radio-based engagement. The system will automatically capture and record all engagement results for objective evaluation. Observers and analysts will prepare and deliver detailed after action reviews that highlight performance strengths and weaknesses. The system will also enable senior commanders to confirm that their troops have reached the highest levels of readiness required for deployment to operations.

The premier Army training experience for all soldiers will occur at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) in Wainwright, Alberta. CMTC will prepare complete Battle Groups for operations using the fully instrumented Weapon Effects Simulation (WES) system. The Combat Training Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick, will also use a smaller, non-instrumented WES system to improve individual training courses.

The Wainwright WES system will consist of Direct Fire WES (DFWES) laser and sensor devices to equip a task-tailored "friendly" battle group against a formidable opposing force, as well as an Area WES (AWES) sub-system that will simulate the effects of artillery, mortars, mines, and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical events.

It will also include an Exercise Control (EXCON) facility, into which a data collection, analysis and debrief sub-system (DCAD) will be integrated. The DCAD will automatically collect engagement data and support the preparation of after-action reviews to help units identify their strengths and weaknesses. A Communications Information System will transmit the location and engagement data between the players and the EXCON.

Delivery of the entire WES system will occur between 2004 and 2006. The Army will commence training with WES in 2006.