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Recreation

Asked what military service during the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), was like, one is likely to answer that it was a great deal of hard work, but just as much fun. Similar to civilian life, to balance out the strain of their duties, students in Alberta joined together and organized activities for the sake of leisure. Young people who trained in Alberta or simply lived in a city or town that hosted a base would remember the regularly scheduled dances. An avid sports enthusiast would remember matches between the different stations. A student far away from home would remember the care took to provide a lovely Christmas meal, to celebrate the season's cheer and stave off homesickness. It is true that the training undertook in the BCATP was rigorous and demanding, but it is also true that recreation was made a priority.

The type of activities available was dependent on the size and facilities located at each base. If a station had the facilities, dinners and dances, which community members were invited to, were held. It was at this sort of event that the public could interact with the airmen/airwomen and enduring relationships were formed. The public was also often invited to witness graduation ceremonies.

Sports were also a common form of play at the BCATP bases. The games ranged from hockey and skating at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) bases to cricket and rugby at Royal Air Force (RAF) bases. For the more common sports, such as those mentioned above, boxing and wrestling, leagues were formed and men from different stations would meet and compete in Alberta Interservices Athletic Championships.

For those less physical and perhaps more interested in the cultural aspects of life, many bases offered regular film presentations. It was not uncommon for a station to dedicate a room to a library and stock it with books and magazines of interest to the trainees. Most bases created some sort of publication to provide news and discuss issues of importance in their community. For the sort who enjoyed musical or theatrical performances, productions were organized and staged, the entertainment coming from both outside and within the station.

Once or twice a week, trainees were able to obtain a pass to leave the station for the evening and explore the nearby town or city. Some were very lucky, being stationed in somewhat populated areas, others felt what many Canadians have experienced in the dead of winter, cold and isolated. However, many men left the bases for the evening, for a trip to the local cinema, diner or bar. It is not an uncommon story to hear of the man who was dating a woman from the local community and used every pass he got to go see her.

Holidays were duly celebrated on the base. For those who were religious, church ceremonies were always accessible. The station pulled together as a community and treated these days as the special occasions they were. All work, barring what was necessary, was put on hold, delicious suppers were held and special privileges, such as being able to relax and smoke in the dining hall after supper, were allowed.

When airmen were on leave they often took vacations near their training schools. Some of the bases provided YMCA representatives who provided information about vacation spots accessible to those in Alberta. Many men took time to visit Banff, Sylvan Lake, Waterton or Vancouver. There are many stories of small groups of men enjoying the beauty of these locales.

Many types of recreation occurred within the BCATP in Alberta. Beyond enjoyable, leisure activities were integral to the success of the Plan. Training an air force is a very serious task, and one can be sure the RCAF treated the Plan with due gravity. But what is life without room to enjoy it? The RCAF acknowledged this and made allowances so that the human aspects of life were not ignored, but celebrated.