In Spring 1950, five years after the No. 244 West Vancouver High School Air Cadet Squadron was disbanded, Mr. Dave Brown, a local businessman and former RCAF Flight Lieutenant decided to restore an air cadet squadron to the community. Together with a local businessman, Mr. Norm Scott, and sponsorship from the local Lion's Club, Dave got the endorsement from the Air Cadet League of Canada and the RCAF to form 525 "Lions" Air Cadet Squadron on November 25, 1950.
The first CO was Flying Officer Ken Morton. He quickly put together a team of officers and instructors to carry out training. A Squadron Sponsoring Committee was established by its first Chairman, Mr. J. Stewart. The Squadron's first headquarters were at St. Christopher's Church at 11th and Inglewood. On Friday, January 19, 1951, 25 teens enrolled to become 525's first cadets and that number doubled to 50 by the next training night on Thursday.
The Squadron rose to 70 members by 1955 and paraded at the Ambleside Headquarters Army Huts. In 1975, the Squadron moved to St. David's United Church, and in the early 1980s, moved again to the Inglewood Community Centre. There, the Squadron prospered for many years, at one point being among the largest squadrons in BC. The Squadron's programs were varied and numerous, and attendance at summer camps was high.
In the early 1990s, the Inglewood Community Centre was closed and 525 was without a home for nearly a year. After a short respite in the Capilano Gun Club (the original army hut LHQ, now the Ambleside Youth Centre), 525 was offered free accommodation at Collingwood School until the fall of 2000. After making two other locations our home for several years, in 2010, we moved to St. Anthony's School, which has been our home ever since.