The history of Tracadie’s former range

Abandoned firing range was once used for ground troop, airborne training exercises

A map of the former Tracadie Range. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

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During the Second World War, a coastal stretch near Tracadie was cleared for use as a live-fire training range by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Decades later, from 1986 to 1989, the same area echoed once more — this time with jet noise from CF-5 Freedom Fighters based at the former CFB Chatham, conducting strafing and bombing exercises.

Though nature has reclaimed much of the 18,000-hectare site, and some of the area has been converted for wild blueberry production and other activities, other portions remain off-limits today due to unexploded ordnances.

The poem below reflects on that layered history.