Lupin Airport
Encyclopedia
Lupin Airport
, Nunavut
, Canada
that was operated by Echo Bay Mines Limited
.
. Nearby (at location 65 degrees 29' 12.61"N, 110 degrees 21'1.33"W) is an island where there was a small (4 person) camp operated by Pacific Western Airlines
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (since merged with Canadian Pacific Airlines
, subsequently bought by Air Canada
). Operating expenses for the facility were paid for by the Canadian Federal Government
. The island was unofficially known as Alcatraz Island and the smaller one West of it was called Wolf Island.
During the 60s there was a large Quonset hut
and a smaller shed which housed a diesel generator
, a backup generator, fuel, and a small tractor. There was no official landing strip, just a dirt strip for emergencies. Planes
used floats
in the summer and skis on the lake in winter. The main function of the station was to operate a radio beacon (sending WO in Morse Code for radio-location purposes) and a secondary but very important function was to radio weather
observations hourly to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
.
Lupin Mine
Lupin Mine was a gold mine in Nunavut Territory, Canada. It opened in 1982 and was originally owned and operated by Echo Bay Mines Limited, who in 2003 became a fully owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation....
, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that was operated by Echo Bay Mines Limited
Echo Bay Mines Limited
The Echo Bay Mines Limited company was organized in 1964 to develop a silver deposit at Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, which became known as the Echo Bay Mine. The company leased the old Port Radium settlement from Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited and used the old camp and mill to...
.
History
In the 1950 and 60s this area was known as Contwoyto LakeContwoyto Lake
Contwoyto Lake is a lake in the Kitikmeot Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, located near the border with the Northwest Territories. With a total area of , it is the territories' tenth largest lake.Lupin Mine is located near Contwoyto Lake...
. Nearby (at location 65 degrees 29' 12.61"N, 110 degrees 21'1.33"W) is an island where there was a small (4 person) camp operated by Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (since merged with Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986...
, subsequently bought by 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...
). Operating expenses for the facility were paid for by the Canadian Federal Government
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
. The island was unofficially known as Alcatraz Island and the smaller one West of it was called Wolf Island.
During the 60s there was a large Quonset hut
Quonset hut
A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semicircular cross section. The design was based on the Nissen hut developed by the British during World War I...
and a smaller shed which housed a diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
, a backup generator, fuel, and a small tractor. There was no official landing strip, just a dirt strip for emergencies. Planes
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
used floats
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
in the summer and skis on the lake in winter. The main function of the station was to operate a radio beacon (sending WO in Morse Code for radio-location purposes) and a secondary but very important function was to radio weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
observations hourly to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife is the capital and largest city of the Northwest Territories , Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, approximately south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River...
.