History of 772 Vanier Air Cadet Squadron in Trois-Rivières, since 1967

According to the list of squadron founding dates kept by the Quebec provincial committee of the Air Cadet League, 772 Squadron opened on June 28, 1967, a few days before July 1, the centennial of Confederation.

The 772 joined the squadrons already active in the Mauricie region, including 14 Shawinigan, founded in 1941 and the oldest in the region, and 226 Trois-Rivières-Ouest, founded in 1942. Others have been created since, such as 815 Grand-Mère Légion in 1972.

When it received its charter from the Air Cadet League of Canada in 1967, the 772 was declared a bilingual squadron. It was "a first in the country," Le Nouvelliste reported in 1991, during the air cadets' 50th anniversary. In 1982, the newspaper even described it as the only bilingual squadron in Canada.

The squadron's name follows from that choice. It honours Georges Vanier, Governor General of Canada from 1959 until his death in March 1967, a few months before the squadron was founded. According to Le Nouvelliste, he was then regarded as the most perfectly bilingual person in Canada.

The first official parade came in September 1967: once officers had been recruited and a civilian committee formed, 35 cadets reported to Three Rivers High School, proud to be the squadron's young pioneers. The English-language school became the 772's home base: in 1984, Le Nouvelliste noted that the squadron's activities had almost always been held there, with support from Collège Laflèche, the City and the Trois-Rivières school board.

These accounts from 1982, 1984 and 1991 retell the squadron's own history. We have not yet found the 1967 charter or an article from the time. Do you have a copy? Write to us!

The air cadet movement was born during the Second World War. In November 1940, a federal order in council authorized the creation of air cadet corps. On April 9, 1941, the Air Cadet League of Canada received its federal charter; among those who applied for it was the First World War flying ace Air Marshal W. A. "Billy" Bishop.

Growth was spectacular: 79 squadrons by the end of 1941 and, by September 1944, 374 squadrons with more than 29,000 cadets. Between October 1943 and June 1944, more than 3,000 air cadets joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. In Quebec, a provincial committee of the League was set up as early as 1941.

After the war, King George VI granted the "Royal" title: the cadets became the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The program turned toward flying: power flying scholarships were offered to senior cadets from 1946, and the gliding program began as an experiment in the summer of 1965 at Penhold, Alberta. In 1975, girls were admitted as well.

Today, the League's Quebec and Ottawa Valley provincial committee owns its own fleet of Schweizer 2-33 gliders and tow planes. They are used for familiarization flights in spring and fall, and for summer glider pilot training in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Every Wednesday evening from September to May, 772 cadets meet at the armoury to learn the principles of flight, meteorology, air navigation, leadership and wilderness survival. From age 16, the most motivated can apply for the summer glider pilot or power pilot courses, which lead to a Transport Canada licence.

The squadron also shines in regional competitions: at the 22nd Mauricie–Lanaudière Cadet Games on November 18, 2017, the 772 won gold in soccer and bronze in volleyball.

Over the years, the 772 has built close ties with 2671 Army Cadet Corps, sharing the armoury, the annual review, open houses and the same support committee. In September 2025, the two units and their committee ran a booth at the Trois-Rivières Airport open house.

On June 28, 2027, 772 Vanier Squadron will turn 60.

• November 1940 – A federal order in council authorizes the creation of air cadet corps.
• April 9, 1941 – The Air Cadet League of Canada receives its federal charter.
• September 24, 1941 – 14 Shawinigan Squadron, the oldest in the Mauricie region, is founded.
• 1946 – Air cadets receive the "Royal" title; the first power flying scholarships are offered.
• Summer 1965 – The cadet gliding program begins at Penhold, Alberta.
• June 28, 1967 – 772 Vanier Squadron is founded in Trois-Rivières and declared a bilingual squadron, a first in the country.
• September 1967 – First official parade: 35 cadets at Three Rivers High School.
• February 1, 1968 – Unification of the Canadian Forces: air cadets are now supported by the Canadian Forces.
• July 30, 1975 – Girls are officially admitted to cadets.
• November 2000 – The armoury is named the Général Jean-Victor Allard Armoury.
• November 18, 2017 – Gold in soccer and bronze in volleyball at the Mauricie–Lanaudière Cadet Games.
• January 15, 2020 – The 772 and the 2671 hold a joint open house at the armoury.
• June 28, 2027 – The squadron's 60th anniversary.

This page is based on the following sources:

Air Cadet League, Quebec and Ottawa Valley Provincial Committee: history and squadron founding dates (2025, in French)

Air Cadet League of Canada, history

Veterans Affairs Canada, Air Cadet Commemorative Pathway

National Defence, "Women in cadets" backgrounder (1975)

Le Nouvelliste, 772 Squadron sets up its own foundation (October 4, 1982, in French, via BAnQ)

Le Nouvelliste, Gaston Pépin, "L'Escadron 772 garde sa cote d'excellence" (November 22, 1984, in French, via BAnQ)

Le Nouvelliste, air cadets 1941–1991 anniversary section (March 22, 1991, in French, via BAnQ)

L'Écho de Trois-Rivières, 772 Squadron at the 2017 Cadet Games (in French)

Le Nouvelliste, "Portes ouvertes aux cadets" (January 14, 2020, in French)