About Us
The Air Cadet Foundation of BC Purpose and History
The ACFBC was established in 2006 at the request of individuals who wished to make donations to help sustain and grow the Air Cadet Program in British Columbia. The ACFBC, which is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors, is a Registered Charity, with Canada Revenue Agency and a Registered Society in British Columbia.
The purpose of the ACFBC is to raise funds to provide financial support for Provincial Air Cadet Activities. Under the supervision of the Directors, the goal is to fund those activities and projects which are above and beyond the scope of the ACLC and/or the Squadron Sponsoring Committees.
At present there are over 25,000 Air Cadets across Canada and over 4,000 who attend Cadet training at Squadrons across the province of BC. Donations to the Air Cadet Foundation of British Columbia (ACFBC) will only be used to support activities within the province of BC. Each donation is an investment in the future of BC’s youth and the 57 BC communities that currently support these Air Cadet Squadrons.
Your kind donations will be utilized in areas such as scholarships and bursaries for cadets in need, the expansion of League programs and training, the provision of equipment maintenance and long-term funding for BCPC’s aircraft replacement.
Air Cadets moving a glider into position – Photograph provided by 513 Hornet RCACS
About the Air Cadet Program
The Air Cadet program in Canada has been administered and funded by a “partnership” between the Air Cadet League of Canada (ACLC) and the Department of National Defence (DND) since 1941. During that period, it has emerged as the pre-eminent national youth development program in Canada, benefiting hundreds of thousands of young Canadians.
In addition to the regular Air Cadet training, the benefits offered include leadership, management skills, self-discipline, teamwork, effective speaking, and participating in community service activities.
Past Notable Air Cadet Program Graduates
Some notable graduates of Canada’s Air Cadet Program are the Hon. Steven Point who served as the first Indigenous Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 2007-2012, Col Chris Hadfield (Retired) who was the first Canadian to walk in space and serve as the commander of the International Space Station, and Lt.-Col. Maryse Carmichael who, in 2010, became the first-ever female pilot to command the Snow Birds.
Program Delivery responsibilities
Training and equipment are supplied mostly by DND, while the Air Cadet League supplies aircraft and, through its Squadron Sponsoring Committees attached to each Squadron, funding for facilities, extracurricular activities and equipment not covered by DND.
Every year, the Squadron Sponsoring Committees in BC raise funds needed to cover the ACLC portion of the program delivery. This task gets more difficult as the competition for charitable donations intensifies.
Air Cadets marching while attending summer training camp – Photograph provided by 777 Neptune RCACS