Camp Hughes in North Cypress – Langford Municipality, Manitoba — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)

Camp Hughes

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 18, 2022

1. Camp Hughes Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

[English] The open landscape close to the CPR main line made this site attractive for summer training camps for artillery, infantry, and cavalry units. Established as Sewell Camp in 1909, it was renamed in honour of Major-General Sir Sam Hughes, Canada’s Minister of Militia and Defence, in 1915. During World War I (1914-1918), more than 38,000 troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force trained here. Many of the soldiers later distinguished themselves at the battle of Vimy Ridge, in April 1917.

Extensive trench systems, grenade and rifle ranges, and military structures were built in 1915 and 1916. A variety of retail stores located closed to the main camp formed a lively midway. Camp Hughes was dismantled in the 1930s as part of an unemployment relief project.

[Français] Cette vaste plaine située en bordure de la ligne principale de CP Rail faisait de cet endroit un site idéal pour les camps d'entraînement d'été des unités d'artillerie, d'infanterie et de cavalerie. Tout d’abord appelé Camp Sewell en 1909, il prenait son nom actuel en 1915 en l'honneur du major-général sir Samuel Hughes, ministre

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canadien de le milice et de la Défense. Au cours de la Première Guerre mondiale, de 1914 à 1918, plus de 38 000 hommes du Corps expéditionnaire canadien s’y sont entraînés. En avril 1917, nombre de ces soldats se sont distingués a cours de la bataille du plateau de Vimy.

Un vaste réseau de tranchées, des champs de tir au fusil et à la grenade ainsi que des bâtiments militaires y ont été construits en 1915 et 1916. Des magasins de vente au détail situés à proximité du camp principal en faisaient un lieu animé. Le camp Hughes a été démoli dans les années 30 dans le cadre d'un projet de création d’emploi pour les chômeurs.

Erected 2004 by Manitoba Heritage Council / Conseil manitobain du patrimoine.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.

Location. 49° 52.809′ N, 99° 33.436′ W. Marker is in Camp Hughes, Manitoba, in North Cypress – Langford Municipality. Marker can be reached from Camp Hughes Road (Road 91 W) 1.6 kilometers south of Provincial Road 351. Marker is located at the Camp Hughes National Historic Site, just west of the Camp Hughes Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Camp Hughes MB R0K 2A0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 18, 2022

2. Camp Hughes Marker

(looking northwest • Camp Hughes National Historic Site interpretive kiosk in right background)

this marker. Camp Hughes / Le Camp Hughes (here, next to this marker); Camp Hughes National Historic Site of Canada / Le camp Hughes Lieu historique national du Canada (a few steps from this marker); Camp Life / La vie de camp (a few steps from this marker); Trench Warfare / La guerre de tranchées (a few steps from this marker); Training For War / L'entraînement de guerre (a few steps from this marker); The Hospital / L'hôpital (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Camp Hughes — Overview / Tour d'horizon du Camp Hughes (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); The Soldier's Recreation / Les moments de loisir des soldats (approx. 0.6 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Camp Hughes.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Camp Hughes National Historic Site

Also see . . .
1. Camp Hughes.

In 1909, a Canadian military training camp named "Camp Sewell" was established south of the Canadian Pacific Railway line. It started out as a city of tents and covered a large area. The name of the camp was changed in 1915 to "Camp Hughes." By 1916 it had grown to such a large size that it had the largest population of any city in the province of Manitoba outside of the capital city, Winnipeg. The former camp saw some use
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during World War II. By the early 1960s, the site re-opened as a Cold War remote transmitter station for Camp Shilo. A one-level bunker was built on the property. The bunker was closed in 1992 and has since been demolished. Although very eroded after over 85 years, the original trench system at Camp Hughes is still intact and is the only World War One era trench system remaining in North America.

(Submitted on March 24, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Camp Hughes Military Training Site.

Camp Hughes Military Training Site is the sole example of an early twentieth-century military field training facility in Manitoba and the only extant World War I system of training trenches known in North America. An extensive assemblage of trenches, grenade, rifle and artillery ranges and other facilities were developed to prepare troops for overseas service. The most important of these was the trench system that now preserves doctrines of 1916 trench warfare; its condition ranks it among the best preserved trenches on the Western Front in Europe and is a special resource unique in Canada allowing for the study of Canadian Army tactics in World War I.

(Submitted on March 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 100 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 24, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.