What's wrong with Meaford?

[reccecrewman]

Its a big piece of paper .. Anyone could've made that assumption

Considering that they have only a handful of Biv sites, most of the "training area" is actually various ranges.  There is very little room to manoevre there.  You want to see a big training area, take a look at a map of the Gagetown or Wainwright training areas.

Regards

 

[Conquistador]

Turns out I'll be at Meaford for the 26th of June as well for PRes SQ/BIQ. Hope to see some of you there!

 

[el_wiersema]

I spent a week and a half just hangin out in the Town of Meaford as well as Owen Sound. It's a beautiful area. As much for the base and training area i've heard good things about it. Except for the poison ivy. Although, i got some pretty bad poison ivy in Shilo too.

 

[Wolfmann]

What's wrong with Meaford is that fact that you can't turn the whole town into the range...that would solve a lot of problems.

Meaford's a hole - You should get a medal for having to live there for more than two years. I lived there for four years before I woke up and smelled the butternut crunch. Ted's Diner though is about it's only redeeming thing, and it LOOKS like a hole.

 

[Wolfmann]

I spent a week and a half just hangin out in the Town of Meaford as well as Owen Sound. It's a beautiful area. As much for the base and training area i've heard good things about it. Except for the poison ivy. Although, i got some pretty bad poison ivy in Shilo too.

Poison ivy is the Official Meaford STD.

I'll reserve anymore comments for private messages...if you wish to learn about the wonderful town of Owen Sound and Meaford and the "Sights" to see... ;-)

 

[Marauder]

Ahh, the numerous and varied ways Meaford both sucks AND blows....

Well, I could go on and on, but let's just say the amplitude of suckage starts hopping as you pass the "Never Pass A Fault" sign, and just goes to hell and gone from there. It's not just the training area, or the fact that Owen Sound is a good place to piss away two whole hours of your life in, or that the RCR Paradesquare mentality is the only Offical Theocratic School of Thought allowed, it's all those and oh so much more.

Trust me, you will feel the hairs stand on end as you come up that hill on Range Road, and not even know why... the first time anyway. Just go with it. You'll just have to put in your time there, and look forward to the time when you can train in Pet. Good luck. And oh yeah, better you than me(again) LOL

 

[Link]

My buddies and I who did training in Meaford actually miss the place.  It was the hardest time of our training (BMQ, SQ, DP1).  We did some courses on other bases that weren't up to the standard of Meaford, we heard all of the rumours of it being a hardcore base, and lived and trained through it being a hardcore base.  We loved it for that and appreciated the instructors we had, because they gave us solid training and we are proud to have completed training there, knowing that we endured some of the most rigourous, strenuous and demanding training that Meaford and the Army has to offer.  So to all of those who are scared of Meaford, or don't want to go, you should do a reality check and evaluate why you are in the army, because if you don't want to be pushed to your limit, then find a new career. 

Link

 

[The_Falcon]

Ahh, the numerous and varied ways Meaford both sucks AND blows....

Well, I could go on and on, but let's just say the amplitude of suckage starts hopping as you pass the "Never Pass A Fault" sign, and just goes to hell and gone from there. It's not just the training area, or the fact that Owen Sound is a good place to piss away two whole hours of your life in, or that the RCR Paradesquare mentality is the only Offical Theocratic School of Thought allowed, it's all those and oh so much more.

So true (the bolded section).  And the wierd thing was last time I was there I could have sworn the Base RSM was PPCLI.  I think the most extreme (and dumb example) of the uniformity/parade square mentality run amok, was when I was there in for Athena Roto 3 predeployment and we were all ordered to wear our field hat everywhere on base, because of all the different headress we had.  I would rather live around the EDP crackheads that surround Moss Park then stay at Meaford for any significant length of time.

 

[armyrules]

Well boys I love all this "Meaford sucks" "Meaford Blows" it makes me feel a whole lot better since I'll be leaving in about an hour and a half to Meaford for my BMQ and I will keep in mind what someone said about the Poision Ivy Tkae care guys will try and keep y'all posted when I get the time

Take Care

Pte. Goyer

 

[MikeL]

So true (the bolded section).  And the wierd thing was last time I was there I could have sworn the Base RSM was PPCLI. 

CO is a Strat, RSM is from 2VP.


Loved being told I coulden't wear my boots(my chit meant f*ck all there since the RSM didn't like Jungle Boots) an my haircut(high an tight) wasn't allowed on the base either... so I had to go around with a shaved head the whole time I was there.

 

[The_Falcon]

CO is a Strat, RSM is from 2VP.


Loved being told I coulden't wear my boots(my chit meant **** all there since the RSM didn't like Jungle Boots) an my haircut(high an tight) wasn't allowed on the base either... so I had to go around with a shaved head the whole time I was there.

I guess the area has absorbed the traits of all the RCRs that have passed through, and now it does not matter what capbadge you wear, the base itself inflicts it will upon you, like a parade obsessed demon of sorts.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I guess the area has absorbed the traits of all the RCRs that have passed through, and now it does not matter what capbadge you wear, the base itself inflicts it will upon you, like a parade obsessed demon of sorts.

That's funny, all I heard while I was staff there was reminders that it was an 'Armour Corps Camp' from 1942 until the Battle School (now LFCATC) moved there in the 1990s.

Nice to know a only decade of RCR presence can so permeate an area that it can undo a career's worth of institutional indoctrination in an Armour LCol and a PPCLI CWO.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Nice to know a only decade of RCR presence can so permeate an area that it can undo a career's worth of institutional indoctrination in an Armour LCol and a PPCLI CWO.

Kinda like carcinogenic oil seeping into the water table. ;D

 

[Dan Gerous]

The only difference between Meaford and Hell is Hell has consistant weather.

 

[SIG MITCH]

Two things I will never forget, WARNER HILL AND HOGSBACK ROAD!!!!!

 

[Amsdell]

Well I'm back from Meaford now, recovered after some time.  Anything that was negative about that base (save for one thing) got offset by the breathtaking scenery.  I ended up stuck there over the long in August working with Range Control and, despite it being hard work based around the hauling of various trees and shrubs to various places and of clearing various ditches of same, I would not give those days back as I got to see the base and the bay and lake from every angle.  The views, the wildlife ...... For someone perpetually stuck inside city limits, it was a welcome break.

That one thing I hated, however, was the food.  Don't get me wrong, its delicious while you're eating it.  But I was sick as a dog for the entire month I was on base.  I bring it up because I didn't think a person can get that sick for that long and in that way.  I tried various ways to get around this issue and to figure out what was causing this terrible ailment and eventually came to understand that it was every egg and potato-based food, which limited my options to ....  Melba toast, which I found conveniently located in one of the animal-shaped cookie jars in the mess. 

But at least I didn't get poison ivy.

Me and a few buddies went up to Owen Sound for the one afternoon we got off.  I can't say I was impressed, it looks run down.  It reminds me of Hamilton.  On the way out I did get to see a bit of Collingwood, however, and liked it a lot.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

I was posted to Meaford for three years and I actually enjoyed it.  Its a beautiful area.  The school is very high quality.  The soldiers who graduate from there can be proud of what they have done.  The place is strict, but there it is.

People will laugh, but I prefer Meaford over Petawawa in terms of mounted manouevre.  Pet has better ranges, but Meaford has more variety and you can actually shake a combat team out and move.

 

[Wolfmann]

Well I'm back from Meaford now, recovered after some time.  Anything that was negative about that base (save for one thing) got offset by the breathtaking scenery.  I ended up stuck there over the long in August working with Range Control and, despite it being hard work based around the hauling of various trees and shrubs to various places and of clearing various ditches of same, I would not give those days back as I got to see the base and the bay and lake from every angle.  The views, the wildlife ...... For someone perpetually stuck inside city limits, it was a welcome break.

As much as these guys (and myself) bounce on it...Meaford and Area is very very beautiful. The base itself is modern, and well maintained. However, until you've lived there for a while and tried to understand the town and how it's citizens mostly think...well...

That one thing I hated, however, was the food.  Don't get me wrong, its delicious while you're eating it.  But I was sick as a dog for the entire month I was on base.  I bring it up because I didn't think a person can get that sick for that long and in that way.  I tried various ways to get around this issue and to figure out what was causing this terrible ailment and eventually came to understand that it was every egg and potato-based food, which limited my options to ....  Melba toast, which I found conveniently located in one of the animal-shaped cookie jars in the mess. 

For what it's worth, they went to a civilian contract food services provider shortly after 1996. The staff went from most military and well paid civilians, to mostly civilians hardly paid anything - at least for food preparation.

But at least I didn't get poison ivy.

Good boy. Told you garbage bags work wonders.

Me and a few buddies went up to Owen Sound for the one afternoon we got off.  I can't say I was impressed, it looks run down.  It reminds me of Hamilton.  On the way out I did get to see a bit of Collingwood, however, and liked it a lot.

Owen  Sound has no major industry and only stays populated because it is an economic hub for the area - there is a lot of development going on there as a result, but you're right. It was once a ship building town, and it is a laker port, but most of the big industries that were supported by or supported the shipping industry have all left, gone under, or large companies have bought their assets and moved them.

Collingwood is a purely tourist town. The Town of the Blue Mountains (old Collingwood Township) is largely supported by tourism as well. Something that Owen  Sound needs to figure out, but with no set tourism industry it's tough to get going.