CFB North Bay
Encyclopedia
Canadian Forces base
A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...
located at the City of North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
about 350 km (217.5 mi) north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division
1 Canadian Air Division
1 Canadian Air Division is the operational-level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and is the centre for North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(NORAD) operations in Canada, under the Canadian NORAD Region Headquarters, also in Winnipeg. It is also home to the 1 Air Force, Detachment 2 of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
On 1 April 1993, all air bases in Canada were redesignated as wings; the base was renamed 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay. This is abbreviated as 22 Wing/CFB North Bay. Today, although this designation still stands, the base is often referred to simply as "22 Wing", and the Base Commander as the "Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
".
North Bay's air force base is the centre for the air defence of the entire country, and works in concert with the United States via NORAD for the air defence of Canada-U.S. portion of the North American continent. Activities are wide ranging, from identifying and monitoring all aircraft entering Canada from overseas, to guarding VIPs flying in the country (e.g., the Pope), to assisting aircraft suffering airborne emergencies, to aiding law enforcement versus smugglers, to receiving UFO reports on behalf of the National Research Council of Canada, to participating in NORAD's Christmas Eve Tracking of Santa Claus for children. The history and particulars North Bay's air defence activities are described below.
Note: "air defence" refers strictly to aviation activities within the atmosphere of the Earth, such as those of helicopters and airplanes. "Aerospace defence" covers these activities as well as those in space, such as monitoring satellites and tracking space junk. In 2010 North Bay's air defence centre took the first steps towards transitioning to aerospace defence.
22 Wing/CFB North Bay has two unique properties among air bases in Canada. It is the only Canadian air base that does not have flying units (as of August 1992, when the last flying squadron departed), and the only air base in the country that does not have an airfield (base assets such as control tower, fuel depot and hangars were demolished or sold following the 1992 departure).
The Air Force and North Bay before the base (pre-Second World War)
North Bay's first contact with the air force took place on 9 October 1920, when a Canadian government Felixstowe F.3Felixstowe F.3
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight, 2 December 1955, pp.842—846.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight, 16 December 1955, pp.895—898.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight, 23 December 1955, pp. 929—932....
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
overflew the (then) town during the first crossing of Canada by airplane. (North Bay was not incorporated as a city until 1925.) The trans-Canada expedition was an epic venture, lasting eleven days and requiring six airplanes. The third leg was flown non-stop from the Canadian capital, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, to Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, Ontario, with North Bay as a checkpoint. The F.3 was a descendant of the Felixstowe F.2
Felixstowe F.2
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 2 December 1955, pp. 842–846.* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 16 December 1955, pp. 895–898.* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 23 December 1955, pp. 929–932....
a and Curtiss H-12
Curtiss Model H
The Curtiss Model H was a family of classes of early long-range flying boats, the first two of which were developed directly on commission in the United States in response to the ₤10,000 prize challenge issued in 1913 by the London newspaper, the Daily Mail, for the first non-stop aerial crossing...
flying boats employed by the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as interceptors against German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
and Schuette-Lanz airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s. In fact, the F.3's pilots were Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commander of the Navy. A lieutenant-colonel is the second-highest rank of senior officer...
Robert Leckie, of Toronto, and Major
Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
Basil Deacon Hobbs, of Sault Ste. Marie. During the war only 12 airships were shot down by British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
flyers. Between them Hobbs and Leckie had three. 14 June 1917, Hobbs shot down German Naval Airship Division
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
Zeppelin L 43. Leckie was the war's top airship hunter; he engaged eight Zeppelins, shot down two (L 22 and L 70, on 14 May 1917 and 5 August 1918), and killed the commander of the German airship fleet, Fregattenkapitan
Frigate Captain
Frigate captain is a naval rank in the naval forces of several countries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Commonwealth/US Navy rank of commander.Countries using this rank include Argentina and Spain , France , Belgium , Italy ,...
Peter Strasser
Peter Strasser
Peter Strasser was chief commander of German Imperial Navy Zeppelins during World War I, the main force operating bombing campaigns from 1915 to 1917. He was killed when flying the war's last airship raid over Great Britain....
. Strasser's loss, a national hero, devastated the German public, still mourning the death of Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
. A third Zeppelin (L 65) escaped destruction when Leckie's gun jammed.
Leckie's and Hobbs's encounter with North Bay was fleeting. They arrived without warning, approaching out of the east, catching residents unaware. Few had seen an airplane before; the effect was electrifying, akin to the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
appearing suddenly over the city today. Leckie steered for the downtown. Over the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
station he dropped a signal to be telegraphed to the Air Board
Air Board (Canada)
The Air Board was Canada's first governing body for aviation that existed from 1919 to 1923. The Canadian government established the Air Board by act of Parliament on June 6, 1919 with the purpose of controlling all flying within Canada...
in Ottawa, "Making a good 50 miles per hour", then with a wave to lunchtime onlookers the pilots swung their F.3 out over nearby Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Excluding the Great Lakes, Lake Nipissing is the fifth-largest lake in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a...
, onwards to Sault Ste. Marie.
The overflight planted interest in local politicians, businessmen and community leaders towards aviation, particularly the establishment of an air station at North Bay. (An "air station" was the term used in Canada in 1919-early 1920s for any land- or water-based aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
.) The landing of a Canadian government Curtiss HS-2L
Curtiss HS
The Curtiss HS was a single-engined patrol flying boat built for the United States Navy during World War I. Large numbers were built from 1917 to 1919, with the type being used to carry out anti-submarine patrols from bases in France from June 1918...
flying boat at North Bay, on Lake Nipissing, in the summer of 1921 for exploration and aerial survey
Aerial survey
Aerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography, LiDAR or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air...
work, and on Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake
Trout Lake (Ontario)
Trout Lake is a lake in municipalities of East Ferris and North Bay, Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of the much larger Lake Nipissing. Trout Lake is the source of the Mattawa River and a significant body of water on a well-known historic North American...
(on the eastern periphery of North Bay) in 1922, for aerial survey and cargo and passenger transport, amplified this interest. A campaign to the federal government for an aerodrome commenced.
On 1 January 1923 the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
(DND) took over responsibility and control over military and
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
(until 2 November 1936) civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
in Canada. Over the next decade-and-half Canadian Air Force (as of 1 April 1924, "Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
") Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
John Henry Tudhope
John Henry Tudhope
John Henry Tudhope was a South African flying ace credited with 10 victories in World War I. After the war, Tudhope emigrated to Canada and joined the RCAF....
, a South African-born First World War fighter pilot, almost single-handedly laid down the network of aviation in Canada, exploring and surveying the country for the construction of aerodromes and establishment of air routes for the Trans-Canada Airway system. Considering that Canada was nearly the size of Europe and mostly wilderness, Tudhope's undertaking was staggering. In 1930 S/L Tudhope received the McKee Trophy
Trans-Canada Trophy
The Trans-Canada Trophy, also known as the McKee Trophy, is awarded by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute to a Canadian citizen who has made an outstanding, contemporary achievement in aerospace operations, whether a single act within the year prior to the award or a sustained level of...
for his endeavours, the premier aviation award in Canada.
In 1928 Tudhope stopped twice at North Bay, and again in 1931 and 1932. Based on his exploration and survey work in the Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
region, in June 1933 DND set up a headquarters in North Bay to supervise construction of emergency landing fields for the Ottawa to Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
(now Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
) portion of the Trans-Canada Airway system. An eighteen-man unit operated out of the Dominion Rubber Company building, leased on Oak Street, downtown North Bay, which served as their headquarters, supply depot and living quarters. Unemployed men in each local district were hired as labour. Despite the primal ruggedness of Northern Ontario, by July 1936, eight airfields had been hacked out of the wilderness, at Reay, Diver, Emsdale
Perry, Ontario
Perry is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Parry Sound District.The township had a population of 2,252 in the 2001 Canadian census.-Demographics:Population trend:...
, South River
South River, Ontario
South River is a village located on Highway 11 near Algonquin Park in the Parry Sound District of Ontario, Canada. It is about a half hour drive south of North Bay or a three hour drive north of Toronto. South River claims to be the second busiest entrance to the Algonquin Park...
, Ramore
Black River-Matheson, Ontario
Black River-Matheson is a township in the Cochrane District of the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the township had a population of 2,619. The area was 1,161.67 square kilometers. The Matheson railway station is serviced by the Northlander....
, Porquis Junction
Iroquois Falls, Ontario
Iroquois Falls is a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,729 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town centre lies just off of Hwy 11 on the banks the Abitibi River, west of Lake Abitibi. Timmins, one of the largest cities in northern Ontario is approximately to the west...
, Gilles Depot and Tudhope (named after the squadron leader), and the unit was disbanded. (Most of these airfields have since been abandoned to the wild.) Ironically, although the nucleus of the operation, and recommended by S/L Tudhope in June 1936, North Bay was not considered as a site for an aerodrome.
The first air force aircraft to land at North Bay arrived 17 to 23 May 1930. Eight Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) flying boats stopped temporarily at Trout Lake during flights west. Two were en route to Winnipeg; two to Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:The name in the Dene language originally referred only to the large delta formed by the confluence the Athabasca River at the southwest corner of the lake...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
; four to Northern Saskatchewan. This plus the landing field construction described above prompted local politicians, businessmen and community leaders to intensify their years-long campaign to the Canadian government for an airport. At issue was money -- who would finance the project. On 21 March 1938, their perseverance paid off. The Canadian government approved expenditure of funds to build an airport at North Bay
North Bay/Jack Garland Airport
North Bay Airport or North Bay/Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, Ontario, Canada is located at Hornell Heights, north-northeast of the city. The airport serves as a North American Aerospace Defense Command base....
. The Province of Ontario and City of North Bay would provide the land. It would be a Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines was a Canadian airline and operated as the country's flag carrier. Its corporate headquarters were in Montreal, Quebec...
(TCA) facility; TCA was the country's government-operated air line (and forerunner of Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
).
On 27 April 1938 work began. The first unofficial landing took place on 4 July 1938, in the midst of construction, by two area residents in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
. The first official landing occurred 30 September 1938, by Squadron Leader Robert Dodds
Robert Dodds
Robert Dodds was born in Stoney Creek, Canada on 11 March 1893, to Margaret Dodds. He enrolled in the 129th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 3 January 1916 at Dundas, Canada. On his enlistment papers, he gave his occupation as fruit grower, stated he was single and lived on Rural...
, RCAF, to inspect the work. A Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
fighter pilot during the First World War, and close associate of Squadron Leader Tudhope during the latter's exploration and survey of Canada, Dodds had been seconded by DND to the Department of Transport
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
as Inspector of Airways and Aerodromes for the country. On 28 November 1938 the long sought after airport was ready to receive aircraft; due to bad weather regular passenger service at the facility did not begin until May 1939.
The Air Force and North Bay before the base (Second World War)
Despite a common, popular misconception that Royal Canadian Air Force Station North Bay was formed during the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the air base didn't exist until 1951.
In October 1939, the Canadian government announced that North Bay's fledgling airport, open less than twelve months, was in contention as a British Empire Air Training Plan site. The BEATP (eventually renamed the "British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
", or "BCATP") was the biggest international military aircrew training operation in history. There were more aircrew training schools in Britain, but the BCATP taught and evaluated 131,553 pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
, observer
Air observer
An air observer is a British term for a military aircrew member whose duties are predominantly reconnaissance. The term originates in the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps, and was maintained by its successor, the Royal Air Force...
, wireless (radio) operator, air gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
, wireless air gunner and flight engineer
Flight engineer
Flight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
recruits from around the world, plus 5,296 graduates from Royal Air Force (RAF) schools.
North Bay's location presented an allure for air training. It was far from major built-up areas and its skies uncluttered by air traffic, altogether a reasonably safe arena for young aircrew hopefuls attempting to learn the tricky art of military flying. In 1940 a small glass 'greenhouse' was constructed atop the airport's administration building in anticipation of air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
, necessary to handle the sudden proliferation of airplanes. But the government decided not to include North Bay in the training scheme.
The airport's sole service to the air force over the next two years was essentially like a roadside truckstop -- providing fuel, rest and meals to aircrew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
flying across the country. By 1942 so many aircraft were stopping at North Bay that No. 124 Squadron, RCAF, set up a seven-man detachment at the airport. Under the command of a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
(today's rank, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
), two aeroengine mechanics, an electrician and an airframe
Airframe
The airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...
mechanic re-fuelled, serviced and repaired the aircraft. A driver and vehicle mechanic saw to the detachment's staff car, aircraft towing tractor and 1000 gallons (4,546.1 l) fuel truck. The staff car was eventually replaced by a more practical "Truck, Panel, Delivery".
The biggest impact on the airport during the war was delivered by the Royal Air Force (RAF). In November 1940 a grand, dangerous experiment had been conducted. Masses of new, desperately needed aircraft shipped from Canada and Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
for the war effort in Britain were being lost in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, their cargo vessels sunk by German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s. To reduce these losses an idea was proposed to ferry aircraft instead -- fly them over the ocean. It was a breath-taking proposal. In 1940 transoceanic flying was raw and new. Aircrew had no navigation aids
Navigational aid
A navigational aid is any sort of marker which aids the traveler in navigation; the term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel...
to steer by except the sun, moon and stars. Search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
beyond the coasts of North America, Ireland and Britain was nonexistent. Mechanical and electrical breakdowns in aircraft were common. In an emergency there was nowhere to land except the North Atlantic.
Nevertheless, on the evening of 10 November 1940, the experiment began -- seven twin-engine Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
light bomber
Light bomber
A light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
s lifted off from Gander
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, Newfoundland en route for Britain. The odds were deemed so poor that only four of the bombers were expected to succeed. Yet the following morning, engines sucking their last gallons of fuel, all seven bombers arrived safely in Northern Ireland.
Inspired, the Royal Air Force commenced large-scale ferrying of aircraft. A training school for ferry aircrews was set up at Dorval, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, outside Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, but by 1942 the Dorval's airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
had become crowded with military aircraft. A new training site was set up at North Bay, taking advantage of the uncluttered skies and freedom from major built-up areas that had made the airport an ideal BEATP/BCATP candidate.
On 1 June 1942, ground around the airport was cleared and tents set up for RAF Ferry Command
RAF Ferry Command
The RAF Ferry Command had a short life, but it spawned, in part, an organisation that lasted well beyond the war years during which it was formed.-History:...
's Trans-Atlantic Training Unit. Five Hudson bombers arrived shortly afterwards. Over the next three years, the unit -- renamed No. 313 Ferry Training Unit in 1943 -- taught hundreds of aircrew, in three to four-week courses, the techniques and procedures of trans-Atlantic flying
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
, and how to solve in-flight problems and emergencies. The size of the unit isn't known. However, although a formal air base hadn't been established, the RAF expanded the airport dramatically. A new double hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
was built (still in use today), as well as a Works and Stores Building (i.e., Supply), guard house, salvage store, recreation building, hospital, fire station and fire protective system, coal compound and general purpose building.
The Canadian Department of Transport added water and power supply systems, plus provided clearing and grading for the hangars, aprons
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
and roads.
In 1943, three air traffic controllers were posted to the airport -- the first ATC at North Bay -- to coordinate airfield flying operations from the glass 'greenhouse' built atop the admin building in 1940.
Nine more Hudsons joined the original five, along with two North American B-25 Mitchell bombers and a de Havilland Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
. Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
s, de Havilland Mosquitos and Douglas Dakota transports
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
were taken on in 1944.
The RAF personnel melded seamlessly into North Bay. They loved the fresh wildness of the region, an exotic experience for many of the British. Area citizens welcomed them as part of the community. The Unit responded in kind, such as aiding blood donor drives, entering a team in the local softball league, and participated in shooting (won) and golf competitions (consolation prize).
In September 1945, the war over, the RCAF detachment disbanded. No. 313 Ferry Training Unit followed suit in October. Their facilities were donated to the Canadian government. Mass flying finished, the air traffic controllers were posted out. North Bay's airport returned to its sleepy, low-key pre-war state, and so it would remain until birth of the air base in 1951.
Despite the thousands of military flights transiting through North Bay and training for trans-oceanic flying, there were just eleven crashes, only one fatal. On 28 April 1945 a No. 313 Ferry Training Unit B-25 Mitchell crashed, killing pilots Flying Officer Leslie William Laurence Davies of England and Flight Sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
William Gribbin of Scotland. Both men are buried in North Bay cemeteries. This was also the first fatal crash of an aircraft, civilian or military, at North Bay's airport and in the North Bay area.
RCAF Station North Bay
Royal Canadian Air Force Station North Bay was founded on 1 September 1951, part of the expansion of Canada's air defences in face of the rising threat of nuclear air attack from the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. A massive building campaign began in 1951 around the tiny airport, including construction of an additional, larger double hangar; a proper control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
; air traffic control radio and radar; and fuel, oil, lubricant and weapons facilities for military aircraft; plus improvements to the runways, taxiways and aprons. Across Airport Road, the main route to the airfield, Northern Ontario wilderness was cleared and the support infrastructure for the station built -- headquarters, barracks, dining hall, messes, hospital, gym, motor pool, supply, firehall, RCAF police guardhouse, Protestant and Roman Catholic chapels, married quarters for air force families, and more. The majority of facilities left at the airfield when the RAF departed at the end of the Second World War were demolished and replaced.
The base had the biggest impact on the community since the linking of railways with North Bay in the early 20th century. Construction, services and contracts for the base infused millions of dollars into the community, and by the end of November 1953 the RCAF station was the largest employer in the area: 1,018 military personnel plus over 160 civilians.[35] This status would continue for four decades, until the departure of the last flying squadron from North Bay in 1992 and subsequent downsizing of the air base. At its peak, the air base had a strength of about 2,200 military and civilian personnel.[36] (Base strength, as of June 2011, is 540 Regular Force
Regular Force
In the Canadian Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve.Regular Force personnel are employed full-time, and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service...
, 77 Reserve Force, 34 United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and over 100 civilian personnel.)[37]
The air base's raison d'etre was (and still is) air defence. On 1 November 1951, two months after RCAF Station North Bay's official birth, No. 3 All-Weather (Fighter) Operational Training Unit was formed at the base. No. 3 AW(F)OTU was a state-of-the-art school teaching military flying, interception and fighter combat in all weather conditions, day or night -- cutting edge techniques in 1951. Students came from as far away as New Zealand. The instructors were among the world's elite in air defence. The unit's second Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
(OC) was Wing Commander Edward Crew, Royal Air Force, recipient of two Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
s (DSO) and two Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
es (DFC) for his leadership, courage and daring in the Second World War, which included shooting down 21 V-1 "Flying Bombs". Crew was replaced in 1954 by another Englishman, Wing Commander Robert Braham
Bob Braham
John Randall Daniel 'Bob' Braham DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Two Bars, AFC, CD, was a British pilot and one of the most highly decorated airman of the RAF in World War II. He claimed 29 enemy aircraft destroyed, probably destroyed one more, and damaged 6 in 318 operational flights...
. Serving in the RAF, Braham had received three DSOs, three DFCs, plus the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(AFC), and was the top nightfighter ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
among British and Commonwealth pilots in the Second World War, credited with 29 1/2 'kills', one probable and six damaged enemy aircraft. Braham retired from the RAF in May 1952 and joined the RCAF. Crew and Braham also commanded RCAF Station North Bay for brief periods. No. 3 AW(F)OTU transferred to RCAF Station Cold Lake in mid-1955.[35]
Among No. 3 AW(F)OTU's instructors were the first Americans to serve at North Bay's air base; USAF Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
J. Eiser and Captain B. Delosier, arriving 9 January 1952. Americans have continued to serve at North Bay in one military capacity or another into the 21st century.
Military Flying Units at RCAF Station North Bay
As well as No. 3 AW(F)OTU, five interceptor squadrons served at North Bay during the period that the base was titled "RCAF Station North Bay". In succession, 430 Fighter Squadron (5 November 1951 to 27 September 1952), 445 Squadron (1 April to 31 August 1953), 419 Fighter Squadron (15 March 1954 to 1 August 1957), 433 Fighter Squadron (15 October 1955 to 1 August 1961) and 414 Fighter Squadron (1 August 1957 to 30 June 1964).From September 1956 to September 1960 North Bay operated a CF-100 Staging Detachment at Lakehead Airport, Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. CF-100 interceptors would deploy to the detachment to meet the air defence needs in that part of Canada. With removal of the CF-100 from Royal Canadian Air Force service, the unit became a TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation) detachment; the unit was disbanded in early 1965. North Bay also operated a TACAN detachment at Kapuskasing, in Northern Ontario. "TACAN" is a radio navigation beacon that allows military aircrew to find their location and assist them in determining flight path, important aids over the vast Canadian landscape, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s when flight computers were rudimentary, and Global Positioning System (GPS) and other similar navigation-assistance systems did not exist. In fact exact position of the Magnetic North Pole, benchmark for all guides land, sea and air compasses in the northern hemisphere, was not pinpointed until 1948 by 22 Wing (then a photographic flying unit, separate from and unrelated to North Bay).
430 Squadron flew Canadair Sabre Mark II fighters, plus T-33s and propeller-driven North American Harvards for training. While at North Bay the squadron was commanded by James "Stocky" Edwards, Distinguished Flying Cross and bar, Distinguished Flying Medal, Mention in Dispatches (and, eventually, the Order of Canada). Edwards shot down 19 enemy aircraft in the Second World War; he was such a top-notch pilot that during the North African campaign, although a Flight Sergeant, he periodically led his unit, No. 260 Squadron, RAF, into battle. On one fighter sweep, his wingman was a United States Army Air Force lieutenant-colonel.
445 Squadron was the first fighter squadron in the world armed with the Canadian-designed and built CF-100 interceptor. 419, 433 and 414 Squadrons flew CF-100 interceptors as well, at North Bay. In 1962 414 Squadron was re-armed with the CF-101 Voodoo.
414 Squadron was the last fighter unit posted at North Bay. 131 Composite Unit operated from North Bay, 1 July 1962 to November 1967, a timeframe which included the base's transition from a Royal Canadian Air Force Station to a Canadian Forces Base (see below). The unit's T-33 Silver Star, C-45 Expeditor and Dakota aircraft were used for various transport duties, targets for interceptor training, and flying proficiency of Northern NORAD Region-assigned aircrew posted to North Bay.
Ground Air Defence at RCAF Station North Bay
CFB North Bay's responsibility for the air defence of Canada, and, in concert with the United States, the air defence of the Canadian-U.S. portion of the North American continent has its roots in 6 Aircraft Control & Warning Unit (6 AC&WU), a tiny radar unit formed four months after the base opened.From 4 February to 30 November 1952, outfitted with British Second World War-era Air Ministry Experimental System (AMES) 11C radar equipment, 6 AC&WU monitored the skies of Northern Ontario in the area of the RCAF station. This involved detecting aircraft entering the area; evaluating who they were and if they posed a threat; providing early warning to the air station of hostile, suspicious and unidentified aircraft; and guiding fighters by radio to intercept these aircraft. Unit strength comprised three officers and 32 Other Ranks, including 19 airwomen (air defence was a new occupation for women in the RCAF). The unit was originally housed in a small group of trucks; in March 1952 the unit moved into a temporary building constructed on the station, a more functional place of operation.
"Ground Controlled Interception", or "GCI", happens when air force personnel in a ground station, like a radar site or an air defence command and control centre, guide fighters to intercept an aircraft. Guidance is done by radio. The usual method is the ground controller and aircrew talk to each other. However, in the past -- such as with the CF-101 Voodoo interceptor -- the information could be transmitted to the fighter by datalink -- by the press of a button instead of speaking, loosely similar to how WiFi sends data to computers today.
On 15 April 1952, 6 AC&WU carried out the first GCI at North Bay, a training session. The unit's ground controllers guided a No. 3 AW(F)OTU fighter against one of the operational training unit's C-45 Expeditors. From the success of this and subsequent training, on 15 May 1952, 6 Aircraft Control & Warning Unit began around-the-clock air defence operations in North Bay, working with 430 Squadron fighters in the defence of the area.
In December 1952, the unit was reformed as 33 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron Detachment part of the new permanent air defence radar station at Falconbridge, Ontario, outside of Sudbury. The detachment remained at RCAF Station North Bay until the end of May 1953, when Falconbridge commenced ground-based air defence operations in the region.
Ground Observer Corps From June 1953 to May 1960, RCAF Station North Bay supported Ground Observer Corps air defence units and facilities set up in downtown North Bay. On 1 October 1952, the RCAF established the Ground Observer Corps (GObC), a country-wide organization involved in defence of the nation against nuclear air attack. Headed by Air Defence Command, 50,000 civilian volunteers from every walk of life, from housewives to Jesuit priests, watched the skies with binoculars and reported aircraft sightings to filter centres. Some GObC volunteers set up sound-detection equipment, at their own cost, to search for the sound of aircraft engines at night and bad weather, when visual sightings were impossible. The filter centres, as their name implies, filtered the information received from the observers -- aircraft determined to be hostile or suspicious, or which could not be unidentified, were reported to a radar station nearest the aircraft. The radar station then scrambled fighters from an air base, and carried out an interception of the target.
In May 1960 the Ground Observer Corps south of the 55th Parallel was disbanded, rendered obsolete by the NORAD SAGE system (described below), and the Distant Early Warning and Pinetree Line radar networks. The GObC north of the 55th Parallel continued until January 1964.
5 Ground Observer Corps Unit was established at 110 Main Street West, in the heart of the City of North Bay. 5 GObC Unit, commanded by an RCAF squadron leader, and manned by RCAF personnel as well as seven paid civilian employees, was responsible for the operation of Ground Observer Corps detachments and Observation Posts in Ontario at North Bay, Brockville, London and Peterborough, and at Winnipeg, Manitoba.
50 Ground Observer Corps Detachment and its filter centre were set up in an ex-movie theatre on the sixth and seventh floors of the Sibbett Building, a well-known North Bay landmark. Along with an RCAF Commanding Officer, a small RCAF staff and 1 or 2 paid civilians, a large number of unpaid civilian volunteers were employed at the detachment, hired via newspaper advertisements and recruiting drives. The detachment and filter centre operated round-the-clock, and trained extensively to fight a Soviet nuclear air attack. In May 1960 all of North Bay's GObC elements were disbanded
NORAD and SAGE With the formation of NORAD in the 1950s and the US's introduction of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) system, system, CFB North Bay was selected as the Canadian counterpart to the US's Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...
control centre. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA)) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized centre for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack.
A SAGE installation (designated Direction Centre "DC-31") was set up at the base starting in 1959, but unlike their US counterparts which were at ground level, in North Bay the entire standard three story installation was buried underground in what became known as "the hole". 46°20′15"N 079°24′42"W, being situated just over a mile south of the main base, and about a half mile north of Trout Lake. DC-31 operated dual IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
AN/FSQ-7
AN/FSQ-7
The AN/FSQ-7 was a computer model developed and built in the 1950s by IBM in partnership with the US Air Force. Fifty-two were built and used for command and control functions for the Semi Automatic Ground Environment air-defense system...
Computers, it was one of the largest computer systems ever built. Command and control was under the USAF Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
Goose Air Defense Sector
Goose Air Defense Sector
The Goose Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division, being stationed at Goose Air Force Base, Labrador, Canada. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and replaced by the 37th Air Division.-History:Command and control...
(GADS) and the centre was staffed by both RCAF and United States Air Force personnel. In April 1966 GADS was re-designated as the 37th NORAD Region.
Later the base was also used as the control centre for the Ontario portion of the two-site CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system installed about 7 mi (11.3 km) north-northwest of the base in 1962 46°25′46"N 079°28′16"W.
CFB North Bay
RCAF Station North Bay was formally changed to its present name, Canadian Forces Base North Bay or CFB North Bay on 1 April 1966 in advance of the unificationUnification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
of the RCAF, the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
and the Canadian Army
History of the Canadian Army
The Canadian Army as such originally only existed under that name from November 1940 to February 1968. However, the term has been traditionally applied to the ground forces of Canada's military from Confederation in 1867 to the present...
to form the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
.
The SAGE installation came the 22nd NORAD Region
22d Strategic Aerospace Division
The 22d Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico...
in 1970 and later the Northern NORAD Region. Following defence cutbacks in 1972, only a single flying unit was stationed at the airfield, the 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron
No. 414 Squadron RCAF
No. 414 Squadron RCAF was a squadron associated with the Royal Canadian Air Force and later with Canadian Forces Air Command.-History:On 13 August 1941, No 414 Army Co-operation Squadron was formed at RAF Croydon, England, flying Lysander and Curtis Tomahawk aircraft. On 28 June 1943 the...
, before it too was redeployed. The BOMARC missiles were decommissioned in 1973.
The underground Direction Centre DC-22 facility closed in late 2006, moved to a new above-ground facility on the station. Parts of the computers system from CFB North Bay's SAGE installation ended up in the Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
The Computer History Museum is a museum established in 1996 in Mountain View, California, USA. The Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the stories and artifacts of the information age, and exploring the computing revolution and its impact on our lives.-History:The museum's origins...
in California. CFB North Bay remains Canada's primary NORAD site, with responsibility for monitoring the Canadian NORAD sector, namely the ADIZ
Air Defense Identification Zone
An Air Defense Identification Zone has existed since February 10, 2003, around the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area to restrict air traffic near Washington, D.C....
surrounding Canada. Tools used by 22 Wing include the North Warning System
North Warning System
The North Warning System is a joint United States and Canadian radar system for the atmospheric air defense of North America. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region...
which stretches across the Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
, as well as coastal radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
of Canada (primarily used by Maritime Command
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
, these radars reportedly have the dual ability to track small aircraft), and any Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft operated by the USAF or NATO in Canadian airspace
Canadian airspace
Canadian airspace is the region of navigable airspace above the surface of the Earth that falls within a region roughly defined by the Canadian land mass, the Canadian arctic, the Canadian archipelago, and areas of the high seas....
. The personnel monitoring Canada's airspace are members of 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron
21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron
21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron is a Canadian Forces Unit based at CFB North Bay. The Squadron was activated at St. Margaret's, New Brunswick, Canada in 1953 with the signing of the Pinetree Agreement. In 1963 it became part of the Semi-Automated Ground Environment system, and became...
. Any unidentified or suspicious aircraft are tasked for interception by CF-18s operating out of CFB Bagotville
CFB Bagotville
Canadian Forces Base Bagotville , commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, is a Canadian Forces Base located west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay, Quebec. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet...
and CFB Cold Lake or any one of dozens of forward operating base
Forward Operating Base
A forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...
s in coastal and Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
regions.
With the general scaling-back of air defences at the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, CFB North Bay was originally slated for closure and AIRCOM was rumoured to be planning to move 22 Wing's NORAD command centre to Winnipeg. The city of North Bay was worried about the loss of jobs and entered into a cost-sharing arrangement to service the base. Part of this arrangement is the proposal to replace the underground command centre with a new one on the surface. Construction of the new above ground command centre (dubbed the Above-Ground Complex or AGC during construction and testing) began in the spring of 2004 and was completed in the spring of 2006. NORAD operations moved above ground officially in the fall of 2006, and the AGC was officially named the "Sergeant David L. Pitcher Building" on 12 October 2006. The new complex is named after an airman who gave his life serving Canada on a NORAD mission while on exchange with the United States Air Force at Elmendorf AFB
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
. Sgt. Pitcher was a crewmember on board an E-3 Sentry, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft (flight Yukla 27) that crashed on 22 September 1995, killing the entire 24 person crew.
The Under-Ground Complex (UGC), or "the hole", remains mothballed but can be returned to operation if conditions should warrant. The opening of the Pitcher Building and transfer of operations to above ground marks the first time the UGC has been un-manned in 43 years of 24/7 operations.
While all regular-force flying units have moved away from the base, 22 Wing's now militarily dormant airfield is still home to a cadet
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a Canadian national youth program for persons aged 12 to 18. It is administered by the Canadian Forces and funded through the Department of National Defence with additional support from the civilian Air Cadet League of Canada...
gliding operation, and the national summer courses of Aircraft Maintenance(AATC-AM) and Airport Operations (AATC-AO).
The runways are now used for civilian flights to North Bay/Jack Garland Airport
North Bay/Jack Garland Airport
North Bay Airport or North Bay/Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, Ontario, Canada is located at Hornell Heights, north-northeast of the city. The airport serves as a North American Aerospace Defense Command base....
.
CFB North Bay's Canadian Air Defence Sector Complex includes a classified Federal Heritage building 2005 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.
- Power Cavern 53 and Control Building 55 Classified - 2005