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CFB Chilliwack Slesse Range Memorial

Hidden photo gallery

  • front
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    front

    Photo credit: Sandra Johnson Penney, Curator Canadian Military Engineers Museum

  • slab inscription

    slab inscription

    Photo credit: Sandra Johnson Penney, Curator Canadian Military Engineers Museum

  • plaque

    plaque

    Photo credit: Sandra Johnson Penney, Curator Canadian Military Engineers Museum

Municipality/Province: Oromocto, NB

Memorial number: 13004-083

Type: Slab

Address: Champlain and Turner Streets

Location: Mitchell Building, J-10, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown

GPS coordinates: Lat: 45.83637   Long: -66.45585

Submitted by: Ken Holmes

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the six casualties of the June 1988 demolition accident at the CFB Chilliwack Slesse Range. It was originally unveiled at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFB Chilliwack), but was re-dedicated at Gagetown when the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering moved to New Brunswick. The memorial consists of a brass plaque and black slab, both resting on a grey granite base.

Officer Cadet K. Gawne also has a memorial tree dedicated to her and Officer Cadet W.J. Whitley has a trophy in his honour.

Inscription found on memorial

  • "This commemoration serves
    as an enduring reminder
    to the CFSME Instructional Cadre
    of their moral and legal
    obligation to safeguard ensuing
    generations of Military Engineer
    officers and NCMs by instructing
    Engineer best practices, without
    prejudice or bias, in accordance
    with approved standards and
    doctrine. The SLESSE Demolition
    Accident, which claimed six
    students’ lives in Chilliwack,
    British Columbia on 20 June 1988,
    is a tragic reminder of the gravity
    of our task and the trust reposed
    in us, the staff of CFSME.”
  •  
  •  
  • “La présente commemoration sert
    à rappeler durablement aux
    instructeurs de l’ÉGMFC leur
    obligation morale et légale
    de protéger les futures
    génération d’officier et de MR
    du Génie militaire en enseignant
    les pratiques exemplaires
    du Génie sans préjugés ni partis
    pris et en conformité avec
    les normes et la doctrine officielles.
    L’accident qui s’est produit
    le 20 juin 1988 au champ de tir de
    destruction SLESSE à Chilliwack
    en Colombie-Britannique,
    et qui a coûté la vie à six stagiaires
    est un rappel tragique de la gravité
    de notre travail et de la confiance
    qui est mise en nous, les membres
    du personnel de l’ÉGMFC.”

[plaque]

IN MEMORY OF

KILLED IN A DEMOLITIONS TRAINING ACCIDENT AT SLESSE RANGE 20 JUNE 1988.

Street view

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