History:Â
The Distant Early Warning (DEW) line of radar across the arctic was modernized and the overall number of stations required was reduced. The chain was renamed the North Warning System (NWS).
The Government of Canada contracted out the operation and maintenance of these radar stations to a company called Nasittuq, a joint venture of two other companies, ATCO Structures and Logistics Ltd. and Pan Arctic Inuit Logistics Corporation. The Department of National Defense leased land on a native reserve, and constructed a testing facility used in the development and upgrade of the sites in the arctic. It employs the AN/FPS-124 short range search radar, used as a gap-filler in areas not covered by it's long-range counterpart, the AN/FSP-117.
Personal Commentary:Â
This was a really chance find. I was browsing around Google Earth, and I happened to notice some strange shapes. The area I was looking in had very low resolution imagery, so there was no way I could tell what it was, but it sure looked interesting.
So, I set out for a sunny day of exploring on a long weekend, and took a run up a dirt road to have a look at what this might be. After passing a couple of piles of garbage, and a seagull-infested pile of rotting fish, I rounded a corner to find this. A short-range development site, right here, in the bush, near a road I've passed by on countless trips. I have to admit, I was surprised.
