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In Action

Training schools were spread out across the country, and divided into four training commands. No. 1 Training Command encompassed most of Ontario (except for one school in Western Ontario, which fell into No. 2), with a headquarters in Toronto. No. 2 encompassed Manitoba and approximately half of the schools in Saskatchewan, and was headquartered in Winnipeg. Schools in Quebec and the three Maritime Provinces fell into No. 3 Training Command, headquartered in Montreal. Finally, No. 4 encompassed the rest of the schools in Saskatchewan along with those in Alberta and British Columbia. No. 4 Training Command headquarters was originally located in Regina, but was relocated to Calgary.

Most of the airbases were built in the prairies, as they had abundant flat, open space, good weather and a low population density. A total of 120 bases were needed, and two thirds of them had to be built from scratch. Newly-hired carpenters and labourers built more than 700 hangars. They also built messes, canteens, offices, drill halls, classrooms, dining rooms and barracks, over 7,000 buildings in total. The cost of these buildings reached $80,000,000.

The economic benefits continued throughout the war, helping to pull Canadian communities out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. With each new station came personnel, and with the influx of new people, business in local establishments duly improved. Industry improved, especially aircraft and munitions manufacturing as well as mining, which provided the necessary raw materials of copper, nickel and iron.

The first pilot course graduated their class on September 30, 1939, consisting of 39 students. The numbers rose to 3,113 a month in late 1942, peaking at 5,157 graduates in October 1943. By June 1944 there was a surplus of pilots, and the plan started winding down. Recruiting stopped, and by October, schools started to close down. The last classes graduated on March 29,1945; two days later, the Plan expired.