On May 5, 1999 Don Hull took us to an area just before the Old Skeena Bridge to show us the foxholes dug during the time the army used this area for a training camp. A foxhole is a trench dug out about seven feet long for a foot soldier to lay in for protection in enemy territory. Every foot soldier is issued a folding shovel as part of his pack. Fox holes are dug quickly and the earth removed from the trench is used to build a small wall in front. The soldier is then able to peek over it or shoot over it without being visible. The ground gives some protection if they are shot at. There are numerous remains of these on the hill above the bridge. Even after 60 years of erosion they are still visible if you know what you are looking for. Foxholes were also used when tanks were on the move. A few soldiers would leave the tank and quickly dig a foxhole and the tank would move on. The area by the bridge was being protected as in war time bridges, roads, communication centers, oil and gas installations are the primary targets. When these are taken out it disables the country.

When the Japanese were "flexing their muscles" the Canadians actually thought that they were going to invade us. The community at Port Edward was considered a threat because the people actually used to look at the flag pole and say they were looking forward to the day that the Rising Sun would fly there and they would be able to be taught in the "old ways".

During the wartime, the area where the Riverside Ball Park is located was the Motor Pool up to where the Time Cleaners and Laundry is. Anything that the army had that moved was stored here -- 4x4's, 6x6's, motorcycles. etc. Next there was a drill hall which was Terrace's first Civic Center. The Legion was the lockup. This was surrounded by a high fence. There probably is a picture someplace of it at that time, but you have to remember that to take pictures at that time was against the law and you could spend a couple of days in jail if you were caught. You would have to hide a camera under your jacket or something. Terrace Transmission was also an army building. This was the very first place where the army put their round tents when they started building. The Apsley area was the mess halls and the officer's mess. There was a bridge over a gully behind the arena. The whole area was solid with buildings. There was not much concrete used, just footings and 8 x 8's were strung out and the buildings went up. Later at the end of the war, War Assets came in and disposed of all these things. It was their job to dispense with army stuff. Later, during the 1960's the War Assets was dissolved.

Terrace was a training area. It was called Mountain Warfare Finishing School. They came here for six weeks and when the soldiers left here they were combat ready. The trains would take them east to Montreal or Halifax and from there they would immediately go overseas. There were a few that were assigned other places such as a friend of Don Hull's who went to Lethbridge and guarded German airmen for the rest of the war at the concentration camp there. They came in groups of 5500 on seven trains every six weeks. The train would come in during the night and the group going out would be standing at attentions for hours, maybe until 11 o'clock at night waiting to leave. If it was hot some of them would keel over from standing so long.

Most of the training was done across Kalum Lake. They had several hundred amphibious jeeps and they would take off near where the Kalum Lake Hotel used to be (Ackerman Point) and go across the lake. When training anything that moved was shot at, even a butterfly would attract 10,000 rounds of ammunition!

Captain Young, the officer in charge of the army here, started five restaurants in Terrace. One where Gusto's is, one on the Terrace Hotel parking lot, one where the Silver Tip was, one on Railway Avenue and one by the drug store. The army men would come to the restaurants to have anything like a hamburger or sandwich rather than camp food. The ordinary citizen could not buy things like the restaurant had. Captain Young had a bit of privilege for that and so did well with the restaurants.

Ev's Men's Wear, Mrs. Site's Bakery, Hull's used to own the Maple Leaf Candy Shop. The building has been moved back and the front was built onto. This was done by Mr. Dick Toynbee. He ran it as the Hub. The old Pentecostal Church was also here. It was built in 1935. The Orange Hall was beside Ev's. One of Captain Young's restaurant was also here. An Italian fellow named Barney Colbochini had a bit of a gambling hall behind the Terrace Hotel on Railway Avenue.

The Terrace Totem Ford Paint Shop was an army building.  It was used by Mr. Osborne as his machine shop for many years. Keith Avenue wasn't through as far as it is now and everything on the south side of the track was the French camp. They were separate from the rest and had their own motor pool. Their buildings were built among the trees. There were 1700 army men here. There was a great deal of animosity towards the them because they had made a deal with McKenzie King that they did not have to go overseas because they might have to fight against their countrymen. They were called "zombies: It must be remembered that the average French Canadian at that time was 5 or 6 generations in Canada while the average ordinary soldier was only two or three generations in Canada and yet they were expected to fight for the country but not the French. This caused a great deal of problems. The famous Terrace Munity, documented in video in BC Legends put out by White Spot Restaurants was caused when the "zombies" imprisoned all the officers and took over the Terrace Army.

Behind the SPCA dog pound there are several Anti Aircraft Gun bases, about five of them. They were very powerful guns and made a swipe over the river. They were hidden there because it was all jackpine behind them. They were aimed across the river.

There are many buildings still standing in Terrace. Many of the buildings are H huts. They were built in the shape of an H with the middle section being the washrooms and showers and rooms on either side. Many of these buildings have been moved and taken apart and are located around Terrace.

There are many other stories of the War Years in Terrace and also many
buildings still standing from this era.  Some noteble ones are the old army chapel from Park Street that is now hidden in the stucture of MacKay's Funeral Home.  The Rosswood General Store was moved from the CFTK location by the radio station.  The Old Red Cross Hospital is now an apartment building on Little Avenue.  The Kin Hut was part of the Army Hospital.  The community hall at the Twin River Senior Complex was also from the war era.  Here are a few pictures taken of these buildings as they are now.