CNHS - Camp 30 - Bowmanville, ON
Posted by: 
jiggs11
N 43° 55.700 W 078° 39.978
17T E 687329 N 4866560
Last surviving World War II POW Camp in Canada, located near Bowmanville, ON.
Waymark Code: WM13J7P
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 12/23/2020
Views: 8
Camp 30 was one of about 25 foreign POW camps located in Canada, the majority in Ontario and Quebec.
The earliest buildings were built for the Bowmanville Boys Training School in 1927. The school operated on these premises until 1941, when the area was requisitioned for a POW camp. Several barracks were built to house the prisoners, as well as 9 guard towers, and barbed wire fencing. The site remained as a POW camp until the end of the war, and then returned to use as a school.
It remained in use as an educational site until about 2008, when it was essentially abandoned. Over time, vandalism and nature have conspired to pose a serious threat to the site.
In 2013 approval was given to classify the site as a National Historic Site of Canada, garnering some degree of protection, and paving the way for possible preservation and restoration. Sadly, funding has and continues to be tight; one of the last remaining prisoner huts had to be demolished after a bout with arson that left it unsafe and unsalvageable.
The site may be visited on foot. Easiest access is from Lambs Road.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Bowmanville
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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