Finding a home for the Abbotsford Air Cadets was not an easy task, instead it took years of moving locations to finally find their forever home. Keep reading to hear about the Cadets’ search for a new home and a little bit of conflict along the way…

The Abbotsford Air Cadets squadron initially started out by using space from the Abbotsford Airport. The meetings for all the teenagers would happen at the airport. Eventually a few years later, due to reasons not specifically stated, the air cadets had to find another location for themselves. The reason for finding a new location could possibly be due to the growing size of the Air Cadets squadron. In February 1986, the Army cadets were offered a grant of $3000 for the purpose of fixing up Aberdeen Elementary school which would be the new home for the cadets. The building purchased by the cadets for their new home was a shared community space as per grant requirements. Shortly after, in August of the same year the Air Cadets were yet again on the hunt for another location.

In December of 1982, the air cadets found themselves a new home at the Peardonville school. Throughout the various changes in location the Air Cadets Squadron would advertise it in the article not only to inform the public about the location change, but also as a way to promote the Air Cadets as well. The story about the location change was titled “Air Cadets land at Peardonville school” and also mentions an upcoming event at the mall. This event would be hosted for the elderly and disabled to help with their Christmas shopping. 

 

 

In August 1986 the Abbotsford Lions Clubs, a long-time sponsor of the cadets dropped the Abbotsford Air Cadets and was no longer sponsoring them. The main point of concern from the Lions was the parents group. The parents group were not supportive of allowing others to use the building. They even went as far as accusing the Lions club for stealing funds from the Cadets. During this time, an “obscene” phone call made by a “cadet instructor and Matsqui police officer” was made to “a friend of the Lions.” This phone call seemed to have quite the consequence as the vulgar language and content of the call was reported to the Matsqui police. This incident was mentioned not once, but twice in the newspaper.

 

Out of both the involved members who made the phone call, the police officer was “disciplined” and the instructor requested a hearing in front of the Police Board since he found himself to be not guilty. Another reason the Lions no longer sponsored them was because it was becoming too costly for them. This conflict shows the level of involvement the parents of the Cadets had in their children’s programming and how it caused the whole Squadron to lose out on their sponsor of eight years.

 

Cadets continued to change locations and would look for a new location by putting ads such as this one titled Cadets still homeless in 1986. After various location changes, some conflicts along the way, the Abbotsford Air Cadets are now located at the Abbotsford Exhibition Park on Haida Drive with their own building (pictured below).

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  • How has the level of parent involvement and amount of power that parents hold impact the Air Cadets program?
  • How did the change in locations impact the children in the Cadet programs and how did they find the transitions between locations?
  • Was the conflict with the Lions club in 1986 publicly known by the citizens of Abbotsford? Did this deter parents from enrolling their teenagers in this program?