Single and unaccompanied personnel will be accommodated in the camp at CFB Suffield. Single soldiers are accommodated in modern blocks in 2 person rooms with a shared common area. Non-commissioned and commissioned officers live in mess accommodation. 
CFB Suffield is situated on the Jenner highway, just 6km from the Trans Canada Highway. There is the possibility for single/unaccompanied personnel to live out and rent private accommodation, however, permission from the chain of command must be obtained fist.
Married accompanied personnel and their families are accommodated in SFA’s in either the Crown Village of Ralston, Medicine Hat, Calgary or Cochrane. Ralston village is the main married housing area for CFB Suffield and BATUS and is 3km from CFB Suffield. It provides housing for both British and Canadian Forces Personnel in housing that is owned and maintained by the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA). Ralston village has many leisure and sporting facilities, and also has a shop, kindergarten, school, and church.
- The majority of families will be housed in Ralston Village, however, allocation of quarters
are made according to the size of the family and not by rank, as there are limitations on
the number and size of housing stock available.
Medicine Hat is the closest city to BATUS, being approximately 50 km or a 35 minute drive away. SFA’s here are hirings that are leased by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) on behalf of BATUS. Hirings in Medicine Hat, Calgary and Cochrane are generally larger and better appointed than the SFA’s in Ralston. The hirings are completely integrated amongst Canadian civilian houses and are not necessarily close to other British families. Due to poor public transport in Medicine Hat, you may need two cars if housed here.
- Pets are not permitted in hirings.
- There is no dedicated military transport from Medicine Hat to CFB Suffield, but motor
mileage allowance for residence to place-of-duty travel is payable to married accompanied permanent staff.
- There is no public transport from Medicine Hat to CFB Suffield or the village of Ralston.
Whilst it is possible to express a preference to the housing clerk of where you would prefer to live, some personnel are designated as key listed and are strongly advised to live in Ralston village. Please ascertain whether or not your post is key listed before expressing a preference.
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Families with children who will attain the UK school starting age during their tour will be accommodated in Ralston village, as the village school is able to accommodate these children whilst schools in Medicine Hat are not. In Canada, children start school at a later age than in the UK. Children of this age living in Calgary or Cochrane will start school at a later date than in the UK.
Lamps are provided in SFA but in some quarters there are no central light fittings in the living room, and you may wish to bring your own lamps, which can be modified to accept screw-fit light bulbs.
On arrival you will also be given a get-you-in-pack, which you can use until your removals arrive. The get-you-in-pack consists of bedding (blankets, mattress covers, sheets, pillows, pillow cases) and towels.
The SFA operate on natural gas for central heating and cooking. Central heating is of the hot air re-circulating type. In Ralston charges for gas are raised by DND and individuals are billed quarterly by the FHWS. In Medicine Hat, gas charges are raised by the local gas supplier. Electricity bills are raised every month by the local electricity corporation.
Electrical Power Supply
Canadian electrical power is supplied at 110v/60hz, therefore not all electrical items form the UK will work. Please check manufacturers’ specifications to determine if items are dual voltage or can be used with a transformer.
Television
The TV system is also different from that in Europe. Generally, TV’s from Europe and the UK will not receive Canadian TV signals. Multi-system TV’s, video and DVD machines should work in Canada. It is possible to bring a UK/European TV and video/DVD machine to watch UK videos and DVD’s. Ralston Village has cable TV offered through SHAW – they are the only cable TV company that provides service to Ralston and CFB Suffield. There are satellite companies that offer TV services in Ralston. You will be required to pay for your cable or satellite TV service. As well as cable and satellite services, BFBS TV broadcasts in Ralston and CFB on a time delay. BFBS1 and 2 are received on an 8 hr delay from Germany. Sky News is also broadcast live. The channels are 115 – 117 or 245-247 on your TV depending on your cable package. For those families living in Medicine Hat, it is necessary to make arrangements for TV service. There is a range of satellite and cable choices. It is not possible to receive BFBS TV in Medicine Hat at the present time.
Small Electrical Goods and White Goods
All SFA come equipped with necessary white and electrical goods. The following white goods are provided in every quarter:Large Fridge with freezer compartment, Chest freezer, large cooker, washing machine and tumble dryer. The following small electrical goods are provided in every quarter: Electric kettle, filter coffee machine, toaster, microwave, food processor, hair dryer, radio alarm clock, iron and vacuum cleaner.
Miscellaneous Items
All SFA kitchens are equipped with necessary items that include cutlery, cups, glasses, plates etc, pots and pans and a pedal bin.
Telephones
Ralston SFA will already have an operating phone line on your arrival. There should also be a telephone provided as part of the ‘get you in’ pack. Phones can also be borrowed form the Families Housing and Welfare Services until you purchase your own. All local calls are free, overseas calls to the UK cost 10 cents per minute unless you are registered for one of the overseas packages provided by Telus. Canada is 7 hours behind the UK.
SFA in Medicine Hat will not have a phone already connected as there is more choice over phone provider in Medicine Hat.
Married Quarters Allocation Procedure
The Estate Manager will endeavour to allocate an SFA of an appropriate size for the family. Where an appropriately sized SFA is not available immediately, the following options are available
Occupation of SFA
SFA’s will not normally be available until 5 working days prior to the ‘Report for Duty’ date of the new arrival and call forward will reflect this. It is unlikely that you will know which SFA has been allocated prior to your arrival in Canada.
Unsuitable Housing
If a family finds their allocated SFA unsuitable, all personnel have the right to apply to the housing committee to be re-housed. This should be done in writing stating the reasons why a move is being requested. The housing committee will then examine the case to determine if re-housing is appropriate. Regardless of the result, the applicant will be notified in writing. If the committee approves a move, a new SFA will be allocated. If there is not a suitable SFA immediately available, the family will be informed in writing, with an estimate of waiting time. At this point the family will be asked if they wish to wait or cancel their application.
It should be noted that unless there are exceptional circumstances, disturbance allowance cannot be claimed on re-housing.
Pre Move-Out Visits
Quartermaster Dept
- Book advisory march-out (6-8 weeks prior) ASA Tel: 544 4182
- Book March Out date and time
- Obtain and fill in F/Mov/713 for unaccompanied baggage through the MFO stores person at the QM’s Store at Camp Crowfoot (at least 8 weeks prior).
Relocation Guide to Moving
The Service Families Task Force (SFTF) provides comprehensive guidelines to assist with the Forces relocation process. These guidelines can be accessed via www.sftf.mod.uk or by contacting the HIVE.
On arrival in BATUS you will obviously be jetlagged. The flight time from Heathrow to Calgary is approximately 9 hours, and the onward flight to Medicine Hat is about 40 minutes. BATUS is also 7 hours behind the UK. Children, particularly babies and toddlers can find it difficult to adjust with routines being upset. It can take up to a week to fully adjust to the time difference.
BATUS is also at a higher altitude than what we are used to in the UK. We are approximately 2500 ft above sea level, and this too can affect how quickly you acclimatise. Do not be surprised if you feel unusually tired, or particularly breathless, especially when doing PT during the first few weeks of your time in BATUS.
As mentioned before, the weather can be quite extreme, and depending on the time of year you arrive, it can also make acclimatising a more lengthy process. In the summer, temperatures can be in excess of 30º C, it being a dry heat often accompanied by warm winds. In winter, the temperatures can dip as low as – 40º C, and again can be accompanied by winds, this time cold ones, contributing to wind chill that can make it seem 10º colder. During the winter months snow is often in the forecast. However, it can be much warmer than this in winter, with warm Chinook winds blowing in from the West, and equally snow in the summer months is not unheard of.
CFB Suffield and Ralston Village can get a lot of mosquitoes in the early summer months, and these mosquitoes can be particularly large and give rather nasty bites. Added to this is the danger of West Nile virus, which can be carried by mosquitoes in this part of Canada. It is therefore strongly recommended that some kind of 
mosquito repellent, preferably containing DEET, be used.
Cars, Insurance and Breakdown Cover
On arrival in BATUS a Welfare Car will have been arranged for you, for up to 5 days for a daily fee, to provide you with transport before you buy your own car. The cost is about $35 per day. Please advise of any child car seats required for this car. Please specify if you do not want this service. You will need to purchase your own car in Canada. Public transport is extremely limited, and there is no public transport between CFB Suffield/Ralston and Medicine Hat. Car purchase is always an expensive business and this is no less true here, although car prices are significantly less in Canada than they are in the UK. Most people buy second hand cars, and these can cost from £1000 upwards depending on age and size of car.
It may be possible to purchase your car from your predecessor, or other BATUS personnel that are posted. Alternatively there are many garages in Medicine Hat that sell second-hand cars.
- You need to ensure that you have enough money available to purchase a car shortly
after arrival in Canada.
Due to winter weather conditions in Alberta, many people tend to buy larger sports utility or MPV type vehicles with 4-wheel drive. Cars are generally automatic and come with cruise control as standard. Ensure that you have air con for the summer months when it can get extremely hot. Whilst there is not an equivalent to an MOT in Canada, BATUS requires that vehicles over 3 years old be inspected by the BATUS Workshop REME Inspection Department in order to ensure that they are roadworthy. Cars have an annual registration that costs in the region of $70.
Insurance can be commensurate in cost to that of the UK, but equally, can be more expensive. A no-claims certificate will be taken into account when assessing the cost.
Most people also purchase breakdown cover through the Alberta Motor Association (AMA), which is similar to the AA or the RAC. They also offer excellent travel advice and information.
- Dependants need to exchange their British license to an Alberta license within 3 months; there will be a charge for this, which is covered by LOA. Take a full photocopy of your British licence before surrendering it to exchange for an Albertan licence. You may need this photocopy to regain your British licence on return to the UK. There is no reciprocal agreement to exchange driving licenses from Northern Ireland,
therefore if you have a NI driving license you are strongly
recommended to exchange
it for a British license before arrival in BATUS. There is a British Forces Post Office located in CFB Suffield and the BFPO system can be used to send and receive post from the UK. Post boxes can be located at the Post Office on camp, and also at the Community Centre in Ralston Village. The BFPO number for BATUS is 14. There is also a Canadian Post Office located in the CANEX in Ralston Village.
There is a weekly admin run for those families living in Calgary and Cochrane, where post will be collected from BATUS. For families living in Calgary and Cochrane, you will need to obtain a post box from the local post office to receive Canadian correspondence, such as fuel bills and bank statements.
The currency in use in Canada is the Canadian Dollar and the exchange rate varies according to the worlds financial markets. It normally ranges from between $2 to nearly $2.5 to the £1. There is a Goods and Services Tax (GST) on everything you buy in Canada. It is added at point of sale and is currently 6%. Provincial Sales Tax (PST) or Harmonised Sales Tax (HST) is also added in every province outside Alberta. This is also added at point of sale.
LOA (Local Overseas Allowance) is payable whilst posted to BATUS. RAO staff will start this on your arrival in Canada at the appropriate rate for your marital status and number of accompanying children. Disturbance allowance should be claimed using the JPA self service system prior to your arrival in Canada. You can only claim this once you have a formal assignment order issued by the appropriate manning authority. You may apply for an Advance of Pay approximately 30 days prior to your arrival in Canada. This allows for up to 2 months salary to be paid in advance and then repaid over the following 12 months via your monthly pay account. This advance can be useful in offsetting major initial expenditure such as car purchase. If in doubt about how to apply for this advance, speak to your current unit RAO staff.
You should bring some Canadian currency with you to cover immediate expenditure, although all major credit cards are generally accepted. You should also bring a UK cheque book. A Canadian bank account cannot be opened prior to arrival at BATUS, however on arrival you are advised to open a local bank account and most personnel use the Community Savings Bank, located at CFB Suffield. On opening the account you and your spouse can have cheques, credit and debit cards. It is also possible to cash UK cheques into Canadian dollars at the Community Savings Bank – you do not have to wait for the cheques to clear prior to receiving the cash as long as you have opened an account with them. This service is unique and free! Community Savings will also do a cash advance on VISA, but they may charge for this service. It is also possible to obtain funds on arrival in Canada by cashing UK cheques through the BATUS Imprest Account in the RAO at the Forces Fixed Rate (FFR). This service is limited in both time and value. You may also cash cheques on a regular basis at the Forces Post Office but these are subject to a cash value limit per day and a small charge is levied for each cheque cashed. The post office rate of exchange is not the same as the FFR.
It is advisable to have an allotment of your salary paid into your Canadian bank account to give you regular access to Canadian currency. This can be arranged through the RAO. You may choose to make your Canadian bank account your main pay account and set up an allotment to your UK account.
All personnel posted to BATUS should be banking soldiers. Non-banking soldiers will be paid by EPIC and the residue of their pay account will be paid by payable order at the end of every month. Non-banking soldiers should be paid up to and including the week following the week in which they are due to arrive at BATUS. They must bring with them their latest statement of earning. During your posting in BATUS you will be paid fortnightly in arrears using the EPIC system on JPA.
There is a cash point located at the CANEX in Ralston village and a seasonal cash point at the RMP station at CFB Suffield which accepts local debit cards as well as Visa and MasterCard.
- Families posted to Cochrane and Calgary will need to open bank accounts with local
Banks. Banks in Canada charge a monthly administration fees on their bank accounts.
All families arriving in BATUS have commented on the amount of money they needed to
spend in the first few weeks after arrival. Please ensure that you have access to enough
money to allow you to buy the things you need to settle in. The largest purchase you
are likely to make is a car, but don’t forget all the expense that go with that, e.g.
insurance, registration, etc.
Radio, TV and Computer Services
BATUS has its own BFBS Radio station with a complement of BFBS DJ’s. BFBS radio can be received in Ralston village, CFB Suffield and some parts of Medicine Hat, although this coverage in Medicine Hat can be sporadic and have interference. BFBS radio can be found at 104.1FM. Ralston village and CFB Suffield both have cable TV available in all SFA and SLA, provided by SHAW, who offer a number of different options of service at varying prices. As well as this, Ralston village also receives the BFBS TV service from Germany which includes BFBS 1 and 2 via a satellite link with an 8-hour delay so that programmes are received at the correct time of day, as well as live Sky News. When BFBS 2 is not on air, this channel is also used to broadcast the BATUS Information Service, which provides up to date local information on current events and activities. The BFBS service is free.
Families living in Ralston village can make their own satellite TV arrangements if required. Families living in Medicine Hat, Cochrane and Calgary will need to make their own arrangements regarding TV service. There are companies providing both cable and satellite services within these areas.
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Medicine Hat, Calgary and Cochrane do not receive the BFBS TV service. Calgary and Cochrane do
not receive BFBS radio.
Ralston Village and CFB have broadband internet access available through SHAW. The service is through the cable that provides the cable TV service and can be bought as part of a package with the TV service, or can bought separately. This is the only company offering broadband internet, but there are a range of providers who can supply dial-up internet. Medicine Hat, Cochrane and Calgary all have broadband Internet access. There are a number of companies that can provide this service.
There are a number of companies that provide mobile phone services in Medicine Hat, Cochrane and Calgary, and local coverage is good. Both Pay-As-You-Go and contract mobile phone’s can be bought, but the services are different from those provided in the UK, therefore it is advisable to research this carefully before signing up to anything.
For further information, the following websites may be useful
Alberta Motor Association
The Weather Network
Telus - Telephone Company
Shop Rogers
Bell Mobility
Shaw - Shaw Communications
Star Choice