S10-136-80/5 (JDPG)
Victoria Island,
Ottawa, Ontario
9 February 1960
Department of Lands & Forests
Forest Protection Division
Parliament Buildings
Toronto, Ontario
Re: Forestry Towers in Northern Ontario
Dear Sirs:
As part of the Air Defence System in Canada, consideration is being given to construct installations at a number of locations in Northern Ontario. Previous correspondence by the Real Estate Branch of the Department of Transport on our behalf dealt with our request to undertake field surveys and soil investigation on certain Provincial Crown Lands. This correspondence deals only with those sites on which forestry towers exist. These locations are as follows:
| Location | County | Township | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atikokan | Rainy River | Freeborn | 3 miles N of Atikokan, 100 ft high. Property owned by Steep Rock Iron Mines. |
| Nipigon | Thunder Bay | Hele | 8 miles W of Nipigon, 100 ft high. Will not be disturbed. |
| Geraldton | Thunder Bay | Errington | 2 miles N of Geraldton, 100 ft high. Will not be disturbed |
| Batchawana | Algoma | Twp 27 R13 | 40 miles, N of Sault Ste Marie on Mt Batchawana, 100 ft high. |
| Oba | Algoma | Walls | 8 miles SE of Oba, 80 ft high |
| Elliot Lake | Algom | No 149 | 1 mile E of Town of Elliot Lake, 100 ft high |
| Timmins | Cochrane | Godfrey | 10 miles NW of Timmins, 80 ft high |
| Biscotasing | Sudbury | Margaret | 2 miles S of Biscotasing, 80 ft high |
Our proposed installation will consist of two buildings and a tower. One building and the tower will be located as close as possible to the highest point of the hill without interfering with existing structures on the site. The second building will be located at various distances away, depending upon topography and soil conditions. This lower building will house our power plant and emergency accommodations whereas the upper building will house the operating equipment.
On sites which are presently occupied by a forestry tower, consideration is being given to construct a joint purpose tower, with the air defence installation on the roof and the fire lookout cabin immediately below. This tower will be either 75 feet or 100 feet high depending upon the height required for forestry purposes. The fire lookout cabin will be either 65 feet or 90 feet abov the ground, approximately.
The design of this joint purpose tower is not complete, but the general details of it are shown on the attached drawing. The fire lookout cabin will be 12' x 12' x 10' approximately. The windows will be 4' x 4' approximately, 3 feet above the floor. The upper portion of the door will be glassed. Obstructions will be kept to a minimum. A ladder used for reaching the roof from inside the cabin will be hinged to the ceiling and swung out of the way when not in use. A 3" x 3" metal tube will, however, have to run up past one of the windows. The cabin will be supplied with 2 - 10 amps circuits for lights and radio equipment.
It will be difficult to make changes to the design of this joint purpose tower when completed, as the design is being prepared in the United States. Consequently, it would be appreciated if you would indicate, by return mail, your agreement in principle with the facilities indicated on the attached drawing.
Yours truly,
(JW Griffith)
Group Captain
for Chief of the Air Staff.