This category is for active or abandoned military sites.
I boarded the boat with my equipment bag, excited for what was to come. This fort had been on my list of "to-do's" for a very long time, and I was finally about to see it. With our beluga whale escort across the mouth of the Churchill River, we arrived at the dock for our first look around.
Naval Radio Station (NRS) Churchill opened August 1, 1943. Its primary role was to study the ionosphere, and learn how it affected high-frequency direction-finding equipment used to locate submarines in the Atlantic. Churchill was to become a hot spot for people wanting to learn about the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. With the end of the war, the Royal Canadian Navy closed down operations.
We woke up, had breakfast, filled the Rav with gas and headed out to see what adventure the day would bring. Â It was a beautiful sunny day in an amazing part of the Province of Newfoundland / Labrador and we were ready to take in the sights.
We first wandered out to a point we had noted earlier, and wanted to see in proper, clear daylight. Â A tourbus arrived shortly after us and disgorged its contents all over the road, but I tried to ignore that as much as possible. Â I noticed something out near the horizon in the water. Â I reached back into the Rav and got the binoculars for confirmation. Â Whales. Â I could see whales cresting far out in the harbour, and they were blowing spray high up into the air, refracting the sunlight at times into rainbows.
We were fresh from wandering the Peenemunde Museum, minds filled with thoughts of buzz bombs and the first practical rockets. One of our party had fallen victim to what I swear is weaponized poison ivy, but was feeling better by this point. I had a second target in mind now. One not quite as public.
HMCS Haida, a Tribal Class destroyer, served with the Royal Canadian Navy from 1943 to 1963. During World War II, Haida destroyed more tonnage of enemy ships than any other Canadian Navy vessel. At 337 feet in length, 36.5 feet at the beam, with a draught of 13 feet, Haida was designed to be more of a small cruiser than a standard destroyer.
History:Â
Originally constructed in 1793, defenses have lined this bluff overlooking the entrance to Halifax Harbour, and have played an important role throughout the 19th and 20th centuries before finally closing in 1956.
A short-lived battery, Fort Chebucto was built in 1943, and decommissioned in the 1950's. Three 6" Mk24 guns were placed here with a range of just under 14 miles (almost 22.5 km) with the idea that, without this battery, and another at Devil's Point, a German battleship would be able to bombard the port of Halifax well out of reach of existing coastal artillery.
Built between 1912 and 1917, this battery was named after Queen Victoria's third son, and then Governor General of Canada, the Duke of Connaught. It was armed with three 4.7" quick-firing guns, two of which came from Fort Clarence, and the third fromÂ
It was a sunny, warm day, and we drove into the parking area near the container pier beside Point Pleasant Park. Only a few moments in, and it was clear that this was a popular place as I watched people come and go, and an almost steady stream along the path. I got out, map in hand, and set out in search of three particular pieces of history, the Point Pleasant Battery, Fort Ogilvie, and the Cambridge Battery.
Point Pleasant Battery:
Belonging to the United States Air Force, construction of this radar station began in 1951 and was completed two years later.
