August 15, 2014 – Harvard Park Business Centre, Springbrook Alberta
The Final Cadet Parade - August 15th, 2014
Friday August 15th marked the end of an era for the Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre. The cadet camp launched in 1966 and ended its 48-year term at Harvard Park Business Centre in Springbrook Alberta just outside of Red Deer.
Over 1,250 cadets aged 12- 18 attended from all over the country to train at the base. Over 150 Staff Cadets ran the canteen, sports activities, security and training and roughly 200 officers and Civilian Instructors who supervised all activities at the center.
Harvard Park served the cadets well over the years by offering a facility equipped with enough space to house, train and feed the thousands of cadets and staff that attended throughout 48 summers. The park included administrative offices, classrooms, an infirmary, a warehouse, a giant hangar for indoor sports, and roughly 90acres of maintained grounds with space to conduct outdoor survival training. While the park was a great place to accommodate and train large numbers of cadets at once, the program will be moving to smaller facilities across western Canada.
The Summer Cadet prides itself on training young men and women to become good citizens, develop positive attitudes, and promote teamwork and leadership through challenging training activities.
Friday marked the departure of the camp in Springbrook. It concluded with a final graduation parade and a visit from the Lieutenant-General Y.J Blondin, a Commander in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Lieutenant- Colonel Allen Gregory Dengis the Commanding Officer of the Air Cadet Summer Training Camp delivered his final farewell to the cadets; “Today marks the departure for all of you. I want you to take the friendships, camaraderie and the lessons learned and keep them with you for the rest of your lives.” He named them the “The generation of future leaders of Canada” and thanked them “for being a part of the history of the Cadet Training Program.“
Tracy Henwood General Manager of Harvard Park said, “It has been a great run with the Cadets. It will be a big change not having all the kids around, but the center is welcoming of new opportunities to host training for other businesses and organizations.“