about 858

the squadron

858 Skookumchuk is located on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, and serves youth from Port Mellon to Pender Harbour.

Under the command of Capt David Douglas, our current strength of 31 cadets participate in a wide range of lessons and activities during the cadet year (September to June), as well as throughout the summer if desired (camps and courses). Along with the core air cadet lessons (including drill, aviation history, aerospace, citizenship, propulsion, principles of flight, meteorology, airport operations, etc.) taught at our weekly parade nights, 858 Skookumchuk cadets also have the opportunity to attend or experience: 

who we are

history

The 858 Skookumchuk Squadron began as a vision of our first Chair of the Squadron Sponsoring Committee, Ms. Joan Thibault. Joan’s accomplishment was best described by our first Commanding Officer Russell Crum: “Joan is one of those rare individuals who not only sees what she wants to achieve, where others do not, but has the energy, willpower, motivational skills and downright stubbornness necessary to see the vision created.”

The 858 Skookumchuk Squadron was formed as a “satellite squadron” known as the “Gibsons Flight” of 103 Thunderbird Squadron in North Vancouver in September of 1997. After functioning as a satellite for one year, and recruiting enough cadets, officers and civilian instructors to form a functioning Air Cadet Squadron, the Department of National Defence and the Air Cadet League of Canada granted a Charter to the unit in October of 1998, with the name of Skookumchuk, and the number 858.

The Skookumchuk name comes from an area on the Sunshine Coast called Skookumchuck Rapids. Skookumchuck means “Mighty Waters” in the dialect of the Sechelt Nation – the local indigenous people of the Sunshine Coast. The squadron crest was designed from an anonymous submission from one of our cadets titled “Raven over Skookumchuck at Dawn” and depicts a stylized west coast native representation of a raven over frothing water with the sun rising behind.