CFB Esquimalt
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CFB Esquimalt is Canada's west coast (Pacific) naval base. It is just over 10,000 acres (40 km²) and is located on Vancouver Island in the municipality of Esquimalt, just west of Victoria, British Columbia. CFB Esquimalt includes HMCS Naden, Fleet Maintenance Facility - Cape Breton (FMF-CB), a Fire Fighting and Damage Control School, the Naval Officer Training Centre (NOTC Venture), and 716 MQ's located in nine sites (Belmont Park, Work Point, Royal Roads...). The drydock in the dockyard was built in the late 1800s as a condition of Canadian Confederation. It has serviced ships from Royal Navy square riggers to the most recent Canadian Naval vessels.
CFB Esquimalt also runs its own ferry (the Blue Boat) and bus services to provide intra-base transportation. There is also the Naval and Military Museum which is in HMCS Naden. The Look-Out is the base newspaper which covers local, national and international news with specific interest to Navy and Canadian Forces members and family issues.
[edit] Albert Head
CFB Esquimalt also includes the Albert Head training area located approximately 30 km by road southwest of downtown Victoria, occupying approximately 220 acres, 10 of which are developed as training facilities.
Fort Albert Head was established at this location during World War II to provide shore defense for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria Harbour. The facility is currently used by regular and reserve forces, as well as cadets (see CSTC Albert Head).
