Padloping Island
Encyclopedia
Padloping Island is an uninhabited island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut
, Canada
. It is located in Davis Strait
's Merchants Bay off the eastern coast of Baffin Island
. The smaller Durban Island
is approximately 7 km (4.3 mi) to the east, while Auyuittuq National Park Reserve is to the west.
community on the island by the same name. Padloping Island was the site of the USAF Crystal III air base during World War II
. In January 1947, the Cabinet of Canada
approved the transfer of the Padloping weather station from the United States to the Canadian Department of Transportation
, effecting 1949-1950. However, by 1949, the transfer date had been postponed to summer of 1951 as there were insufficient Department of Transport personnel available to staff Padloping's combined meteorological and radio range station. But in June 1951, with the Department of Transportation still unable to assume the commitment, the United States agreed to continue the Padloping operation.
In 1953, the Royal Canadian Navy
took over operations, establishing weather station VFU8. Operations were abandoned by 1956.
It is currently listed as a contaminated site, to be remediated in the future by the government.
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...
. It is located in Davis Strait
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
's Merchants Bay off the eastern coast of Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
. The smaller Durban Island
Durban Island
Durban Island is a Canadian Arctic island located in Nunavut, Canada. It is one of Baffin Island's northeast offshore islands within Davis Strait's Merchants Bay. It is in size. Durban Harbour is on the island's southeast facing side...
is approximately 7 km (4.3 mi) to the east, while Auyuittuq National Park Reserve is to the west.
Geography
It measures 4 km (2.5 mi)-6 km (3.7 mi) long, by 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi)-2 km (1.2 mi) wide.History
Padloping was originally an InuitInuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
community on the island by the same name. Padloping Island was the site of the USAF Crystal III air base during World War II
World 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...
. In January 1947, the Cabinet of Canada
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
approved the transfer of the Padloping weather station from the United States to the Canadian Department of Transportation
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...
, effecting 1949-1950. However, by 1949, the transfer date had been postponed to summer of 1951 as there were insufficient Department of Transport personnel available to staff Padloping's combined meteorological and radio range station. But in June 1951, with the Department of Transportation still unable to assume the commitment, the United States agreed to continue the Padloping operation.
In 1953, 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...
took over operations, establishing weather station VFU8. Operations were abandoned by 1956.
It is currently listed as a contaminated site, to be remediated in the future by the government.