DRDC Suffield is a major Canadian military research facility located north of

Suffield, Alberta Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) approximately northwest of Medicine Hat, and just south of CFB Suffield. History Established by the Canadian P ...

, and is one of eight centres making up

Defence Research and Development Canada Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces ...

(

DRDC Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces ( ...

History

The research facility commenced operations on June 11, 1941 as a joint British/Canadian biological and chemical defence facility as the

Experimental Station Suffield An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

under the administration of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

. By the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the station employed 584 personnel trained in chemistry, physics, meteorology, mathematics, pharmacology, pathology, bacteriology, physiology, entomology, veterinary science, mechanical and chemical engineering. In 1946, the station was placed completely in the hands the

when the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

withdrew their support. The responsibility for administrating the station, including the Suffield Block, was transferred to the

Defence Research Board Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces ...

on April 30, 1947 by Order in Council PC 101/1727. In August 1950, the station was renamed to the

Suffield Experimental Station The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Suffield Experimental Station (SES) from 1950 to its renaming to the Defence Research Establishment Suffield in 1967. History Experimental Station ...

(SES). In July 1967, the Suffield Experimental Station was renamed to the

Defence Research Establishment Suffield The Defence Research Establishment Suffield was the name of the military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, from 1967 to its renaming to ''DRDC Suffield'' in 2000. History After being renamed from the Suffield Experimental Sta ...

( DRES). On December 1, 1971, the Canadian Forces Base Suffield (

CFB Suffield Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...

) was officially created and allocated to Mobile Command.Backgrounder - Canadian Forces Base Suffield
/ref> A number of personnel and support functions were transferred from DRES to

and

was co-located with the Research Establishment. In 1974, the

evolved into the Research and Development Branch which was administered under th
Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel
of th
Canadian Department of National Defence
Another reorganization followed on April 1, 2000 when the Research and Development Branch was placed under the Assistant Deputy Minister Science & Technology and renamed to

(DRDC).

DRDC Suffield today

Research areas at the Centre focus on military engineering, mobility and autonomous systems, weapons system evaluation and chemical-biological defence. These scientific and technological activities are supported by meteorological, photographic, information, design and development, materiel management and field support services. DRDC Suffield also hosts the Counter Terrorism Technology Centre (CTTC) which is a core component in enabling Canada to respond to domestic and international chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incidents. Inspections by site visit teams from the

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member ...

and annual visits by the

Biological and Chemical Defence Review Committee The Biological and Chemical Defence Review Committee, or BCDRC ( French: Comité d'examen du programme de défense biologique et chimique, or CEPDBC) is a civilian body having oversight of the Canadian military's activities in the area of defence ...

ensure that DRDC Suffield's training and research and development activities in the area of chemical and biological defence are all compliant with Canada's obligations under the

Chemical Weapons Convention The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), officially the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, is an arms control treaty administered by the Organisation for ...

and the

Biological Weapons Convention The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpil ...

and are carried out in a professional manner, with no threat to humans nor to the environment.

References

External links

Defence R&D Canada -- official websiteDRDC Suffield -- official websiteCFB Suffield -- official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:DRDC Suffield Suffield Chemical warfare facilities Biological warfare facilities 1941 establishments in Alberta