CFB Chilliwack Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack ( also CFB Chilliwack ) was a Canadian Forces Base located in Chilliwack , British Columbia . Camp Chilliwack . Military Camp Chilliwack ( shortened to Camp Chilliwack ) was established on February 15 , 1941 on a parcel of land in the rural community of Vedder Crossing , along the north side of the Vedder River several kilometres south of its discharge point into the Fraser River . The property was bounded by Keith Wilson Road and Vedder Road and was intended as a Canadian Army post for defending the Lower Mainland of British Columbia . Camp Chilliwack was created only two months after the Empire of Japan ' s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor , launching the Pacific Theatre of World War II . The swift succession of Japanese operations in the Aleutian Islands and a submarine presence off the west coast of North America , coupled with the fall of Hong Kong took the Department of National Defence by surprise . The Canadian military ' s presence in British Columbia was restricted at that time to the Royal Canadian Navy base at Esquimalt on southern Vancouver Island plus a chain of RCAF land - based and flying boat stations including Sea Island ( Vancouver ) , Victoria , Allingford Bay , Bella Coola and Prince Rupert . The rapid flow of events during late 1941 and early 1942 saw the United States military presence in the Pacific Northwest expand dramatically , with corresponding increases in Canada to meet the perceived Japanese threat . One manifestation was the agreement in February 1942 by both nations to construct the Alaska Highway as a defence project , followed by the Royal Air Force ' s decision to construct RAF Station Comox to boost Commonwealth air defence for Canada ' s west coast . Camp Chilliwack opened several months later and housed several army units for territorial defence . But it soon became apparent as 1942 wore on that the Japanese threat to mainland North America was minor . Consequently , Camp Chilliwack was also designated as a recruit training centre and hosted the No . 112 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre , as well as the A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre ( which was moved from Camp Dundurn in Saskatchewan ) . During the postwar years and into the Cold War , Camp Chilliwack continued to operate as a permanent training establishment for the Canadian Army , as well as providing support to regular and reserve army units in British Columbia . The A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre was renamed the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering . In 1957 , the 58th Field Engineer Squadron moved from the navy base at Esquimalt to Camp Chillwack . In 1968 Canada unified its military forces when it merged the Canadian Army , Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy to create the Canadian Forces . Camp Chilliwack was renamed " Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack " ( CFB Chilliwack ) to reflect the new organization . The Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering was renamed the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering following unification and in 1970 the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School ( CFOCS ) moved to CFB Chilliwack . In 1977 3 Field Squadron was renamed 1 Combat Engineer Regiment . CFB Chilliwack took responsibility for supporting all Canadian Forces units in the lower mainland of British Columbia , including the Jericho Beach Garrison in Vancouver . In 1994 , the 3rd Battalion , Princess Patricia ' s Canadian Light Infantry moved to CFB Chilliwack from Esquimalt , the last new unit to transfer to the facility . Closure . Defence budget cutbacks and force consolidation following the end of the Cold War saw CFB Chilliwack identified in the mid - 1990s as a candidate for closure by 1997 . The CFOCS was moved to ASU St - Jean while the CFSME was moved to CFB Gagetown and 3PPCLI moved to CFB Edmonton . The base consisted of two separate properties ; the Vedder Creek location was the main part of the base and was mothballed , whereas the Chilcotin training area and firing ranges were kept by DND for use by local reserve units in the Vancouver area . Area Support Unit Chilliwack ( ASU Chilliwack ) was established on September 2 , 1997 at the Vedder Creek property to provide support to reserve and regular force units on mainland British Columbia , while the remainder of the Vedder Creek property has been transferred to the Canada Lands Company for disposal and is currently being developed into a residential subdivision named " Garrison Crossing . " Post office . CFB Chiliwack had a Military Post Office ( MPO ) from July 1944 to August 1946 . A regular post office with the name " CFB Chilliwack " was opened in 1979 .