Description of Historic Place

The Vancouver Wireless Community consists of a rectangular, 16.18-hectare site, situated adjacent to the Boundary Bay airport within the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve in Delta, British Columbia. The site, which is now abandoned, is located in a restricted access zone, and is enclosed by a perimeter fence. A number of remnants of the original site are intact, including foundations from a number of buildings, paved streets laid out in a grid system with curved cul-de-sacs, remains of a swimming pool and reservoir, and the original guardhouse.

Heritage Value

The Vancouver Wireless Community is historically significant as a rare surviving Canadian example of a purpose-built community dating from the postwar era, and is additionally valued as a symbol of Canada's wartime and military efforts.

During the Second World War, the Federal Government built the Boundary Bay Airport, which opened in 1941, to serve as a training school for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The airport was decommissioned in 1946, and two years later the federal government initiated plans to redevelop it as the Vancouver Wireless Station, to be operated by the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. This was a response to the continuing 'Cold War' military tension and political conflict. The existing airport structures were reused, with several additions. At the peak of operation, the Vancouver Wireless Station employed 200 highly trained military personnel as well as civilians, including operational and support staff.

In order to sustain the continuous operations of the Wireless Station, an adjacent residential community was developed to house the military personnel. In addition to a number of houses, the community included amenities such as a grocery store, a gymnasium, woodworking and automotive shops, a sports field with a baseball diamond, an engineering station with a heating plant, and a fire hall. In March of 1949, the Roman Catholic Chapel of St. Augustine opened to serve the spiritual needs of the community. A local school was also built to educate local children. By 1950, the population of Vancouver Wireless Community had grown so rapidly that thirty-five additional permanent married quarters had to be built. Another thirty-five units were built in 1952, bringing the total number of permanent married quarters to 120 units. Community spirit was fostered by a number of social clubs and sporting events including badminton, baseball and bowling. Other social clubs included a Ham Radio Club, a Woodscraft Club, Mechanical Crafts, a Photography Club, a Military Rifle Club and a Drama club. Movies were regularly screened at the Theatre building.

The Vancouver Wireless Station, which had become known as the Canadian Forces Station, continued operations until 1971 when it was relocated to the Village of Masset in Haida Gwaii. A total of 112 of the buildings were sold to four First Nations groups and barged up coast to new locations. The Vancouver Wireless Protestant Chapel was relocated for use as the North Delta Regular Baptist Church. The Roman Catholic Chapel of St. Augustine was relocated to Westham Island for use by the Delta & Ladner Rod & Gun Club. In 1983 the airport site was restored and reopened in 1983 as Boundary Bay Airport. A number of remnants of the original site are intact, including foundations from a number of buildings, paved streets laid out in a grid system with curved cul-de-sacs, remains of a swimming pool and reservoir, and the original guardhouse.

SOURCE: Corporation of Delta, Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Vancouver Wireless Community include its:
- location on a rectangular, 16.18-hectare site, situated adjacent to the Boundary Bay airport within the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve
- original paved streets, laid out in a grid system with curved cul-de-sacs
- concrete remains of a swimming pool, reservoir and former residences
- original guardhouse at the point of entry
- associated landscape features including an abundance of marsh lands, mature trees including oak and birch, and expansive open fields