Memory Builders: Remembrance Day at Base31

Remembering Together: The People and Stories Behind Base31

Today, Canadians take time to remember those who served and sacrificed in times of war. At Base31 in Prince Edward County, that history is part of the place around us, but it is also found in the people, personal stories and connections that continue to bring it to life.

From the airmen who trained here during the Second World War to the community members creating new ways to honour their memory, remembrance at Base31 connects generations through a shared history.

A longer history of the land

Long before the military base was established, this land was part of the traditional territories and homelands of Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Anishnaabeg, Huron-Wendat and Mississauga peoples. The site is adjacent to the Kenhtè Kanyen'kehá community in Tyendinaga, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

The land is also connected to the Crawford Purchase of 1783, an agreement between the Crown and representatives of the Mississauga. This earlier history is an important part of understanding the place we share today, alongside the military history that Remembrance Day brings into particular focus.

A classroom for a world at war

On December 17, 1939, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada signed the Riverdale Agreement, establishing the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The program transformed Canada into the "Aerodrome of Democracy," training thousands of aircrew for service with Allied forces during the Second World War.

The original 51 buildings on this 70-acre site were constructed in 1940. In 1941, the No. 31 Bombing and Gunnery School opened, operated by Britain's Royal Air Force. Here, airmen trained in the skills needed for aerial combat, including bombing and gunnery, before being deployed overseas.

By early 1943, more than 100 aircraft were in use, with approximately 600 trainees rotating through the school every six weeks. Many had travelled from overseas to train here before heading to the front. For some, it would be their last connection to Canada.

The BCATP also created lasting personal connections between Canada and the Commonwealth countries. During and after the war, thousands of Canadian women married trainees and instructors from overseas. More than 100 of those marriages took place between base personnel and residents of Prince Edward County, creating family connections that remain part of the region's story.

The stories we continue to discover

The site's military history continued beyond the Second World War. From 1962 to 1969, it was home to the Canadian Guards, 1st Battalion, who received the Freedom of the City honour in 1966, a significant recognition bestowed by a municipality on a military unit.

Other pieces of that history have surfaced in unexpected ways.

Since 1949, the Royal Canadian Legion in Picton had maintained a collection of historical artifacts at its former building, now the site of The CAPE in Picton. When the Legion sold the property, the collection was moved into storage at Base31.

In 2026, when Legion members returned to clear the storage space, they discovered far more than they expected. Among the finds were editions of the Picton Gazette dating back to the 1910s, First World War medals with unknown recipients, and a Dead Man's Penny: a bronze memorial medallion sent by the British Crown to the families of those who died during the First World War.

The medallion had been sitting at the former No. 31 Bombing and Gunnery School for well over a decade, connecting two world wars and the generations of people whose lives were shaped by them.

The Legion has since donated the collection to the Marilyn Adams Genealogical Research Centre in Ameliasburgh, where these artifacts can be preserved, studied and discovered by future generations.

Remembrance made by the community

Today, just over 40 of the original 51 buildings remain at Base31. The site's historic significance was recognized by Jacqui Burley, former manager of the Loch-Sloy Business Park, who made important decisions to help preserve its buildings and infrastructure. The installation of red steel roofs protected the structures and helped make their ongoing restoration possible.

That preservation work allows visitors to experience the site's history today. Through the Exhibition Hall, Lancaster KB 882, on loan from the National Air Force Museum of Canada, and our history events and programming, visitors can learn about the base's wartime role and the people who lived, trained and served here. Remembrance Day offers a particular moment to pause and reflect on their service and sacrifice.

This year, we also invited our community to take part in creating new ways to honour that history.

During weekend workshops, visitors read In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, then traced and cut poppies from translucent red material. Together, they created dozens of individual poppies that will become part of the Poppy Cascade, a permanent installation suspended from the rafters of our Second World War-era hangar.

When the installation is unveiled in 2027, sunlight streaming through the hangar windows will illuminate the poppies. Each one represents a small contribution to something much larger: a collective expression of remembrance made by the community.

Community members also dedicated 45 luminaries to people who served, including parents, grandparents, ancestors and friends, living and deceased. Together, these dedications raised $250 in support of the Royal Canadian Legion branches in Picton, Wellington and Consecon.

At 4:47 p.m., as the sun set over Prince Edward County, the luminaries were lit around Lancaster KB 882, creating a quiet place for reflection. They remained illuminated through the night, carrying the names and memories of those being honoured into the early morning.

As Laurence Binyon's familiar words remind us: "At the going down of the sun and in the morning / We will remember them."

An invitation to remember

The poppies being created for the Poppy Cascade and the names dedicated around Lancaster KB 882 are part of an ongoing story, one shaped by the people who choose to take part.

If you're attending a Remembrance Day ceremony in Picton, Wellington or Consecon on November 11, we invite you to continue the day with a visit to Base31. The Exhibition Hall will be open from 10AM to 5PM, with free admission for everyone on Remembrance Day, November 11. Admission is also always free for veterans.

Explore the history, discover the stories behind the people who trained and served here, and take a moment to reflect on the connections between our community and the generations who came before us.

Lest we forget.