Camp Hughes National Historic Site of Canada

Camp Hughes was designated a national historic site of Canada because:

• it is the most intact First World War battlefield terrain, created for training purposes, remaining in Canada and one of a dwindling number worldwide;
• it retains in whole or in part many key features including the training trenches, rifle range, grenade training grounds, artillery observation posts, building foundations, and a camp cemetery. The trenches and rifle range, in particular, speak to Canada's efforts to provide training tailored to the specific tactics and conditions of the First World War; and,
• it provides a powerful and evocative illustration of Canada's participation, contribution and sacrifices during the First World War.

The heritage value of Camp Hughes lies in its physical fabric and historical associations. It was at this camp that tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers received instruction in the tactics and weaponry of war prior to being deployed to Europe during the First World War. Battlefield conditions, including a system of trenches, grenade pits, and a rifle range, were created to reflect the realities of trench warfare. Many of the soldiers who trained at Camp Hughes went on to fight at Vimy and Passchendaele, defining battles in Canada’s history. The camp served as a military training facility until 1934 when it was dismantled as part of an unemployment relief project.