RCAF Station Beaverbank
Encyclopedia
RCAF Station Beaverbank was a long-range Pinetree Line
early warning radar
station operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force
, located in central Nova Scotia
near the community of Beaverbank
. The site is now known as Beaverbank Villa.
(25 mi
) north of the twin cities of Halifax
-Dartmouth
. The station sat on 430 acres (1.7 km²) with about a half a mile (800 m) separation between the domestic and the operations site; both sites being divided by the county line between Halifax County
(domestic site) and Hants County
(operations site).
The "22 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron" was the operational unit posted to the station, its colours having been created in 1953 and the unit made operational a year later in the fall of 1954. The radar unit itself was manually operated and reported to the Fredericton NORAD Sector at RCAF Station St. Margarets
until September 1962 when this was changed to the Bangor NORAD Sector at Topsham AFS
.
The 22 AC&W became SAGE
-operational on January 1, 1964 however this capability did not last long as the station was closed and the squadron disbanded 4 months later on April 1, 1964 following a NORAD realignment and increasing focus being placed on the DEW Line. After the closure of the base, it had been used briefly as a cement factory.
RCAF Station Beaverbank occupied a unique location in proximity to Canada's largest Atlantic seaport and its biggest naval base, making it an important early warning radar during the manual environment of the 1950s. Since manned bomber raids by the Soviet Union
in the area were considered quite likely, it was felt that RCAF Station Beaverbank fulfilled a critical role in the early days of Canada's and North America's air defence. The station was originally financed by the United States Air Force
, although operational responsibility rested with the RCAF, until 1962 when the RCAF assumed financial responsibility as well.
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
early warning 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...
station operated by the 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...
, located in central Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
near the community of Beaverbank
Beaverbank, Nova Scotia
Beaver Bank is a community northeast of Lower Sackville on the Beaver Bank Road within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is about 35 kilometres from the City of Halifax...
. The site is now known as Beaverbank Villa.
Base history
RCAF Station Beaverbank was approximately 40 kmKilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
(25 mi
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
) north of the twin cities of Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
-Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
. The station sat on 430 acres (1.7 km²) with about a half a mile (800 m) separation between the domestic and the operations site; both sites being divided by the county line between Halifax County
Halifax County, Nova Scotia
Halifax County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The Municipality of the County of Halifax was the municipal government of Halifax County, apart from the separately incorporated towns and cities therein...
(domestic site) and Hants County
Hants County, Nova Scotia
Hants County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia which was the home of Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Alden Nowlan and Noel Doiron. The county of Hants was created June 17, 1781, and consisted of the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport...
(operations site).
The "22 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron" was the operational unit posted to the station, its colours having been created in 1953 and the unit made operational a year later in the fall of 1954. The radar unit itself was manually operated and reported to the Fredericton NORAD Sector at RCAF Station St. Margarets
RCAF Station St. Margarets
RCAF Station St. Margarets is a former Royal Canadian Air Force station and later a Canadian Forces detachment located in the community of St. Margarets, New Brunswick....
until September 1962 when this was changed to the Bangor NORAD Sector at Topsham AFS
Topsham Air Force Station
Topsham Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force station. It is located north of Brunswick, Maine. It was closed in 1969.-History:...
.
The 22 AC&W became SAGE
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...
-operational on January 1, 1964 however this capability did not last long as the station was closed and the squadron disbanded 4 months later on April 1, 1964 following a NORAD realignment and increasing focus being placed on the DEW Line. After the closure of the base, it had been used briefly as a cement factory.
RCAF Station Beaverbank occupied a unique location in proximity to Canada's largest Atlantic seaport and its biggest naval base, making it an important early warning radar during the manual environment of the 1950s. Since manned bomber raids by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the area were considered quite likely, it was felt that RCAF Station Beaverbank fulfilled a critical role in the early days of Canada's and North America's air defence. The station was originally financed by 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...
, although operational responsibility rested with the RCAF, until 1962 when the RCAF assumed financial responsibility as well.