SECRET
S10-136-80/5 TD 1279 (DCEC)
Nov 2, 1961
The Secretary,
The Treasury Board,
Department of Finance,
Ottawa, Ontario
Attention: Mr JA Mac Donald
Dear Sir:
Re: Gap Filler Radar Stations - Resiting
The Cabinet at its 9 December 1958 meeting agreed to a cost sharing plan whereby the RCAF would be responsible for all construction aspects of the Joint USAF/RCAF Air Defence Ground Program, while the USAF would provide the necessary technical equipment. The various requirements and implementation schedules for this program have been published in a Joint USAF/RCAF approved CADIN Document issue 2 dated 1 May 1961. This document states a requirement for a total of 45 Gap Filler Radars in Canada.
Treasury Board Minutes 569202 and 566358 both dated 29 September 1960 amended the previous Gap Filler approvals to include 38 sites at a cost of $8,076,000. Subsequently Treasury approved the construction of the remaining 7 sites at a cost of $861,000.00. (Minute 586139 dated 14 September 1961). Hence the total funds now approved for construction of the 45 Gap Fillers is $8,937,000.00.
Due to changes in the Joint USAF/RCAF CADIN operational requirements and Gap Filler siting criteria during the past two years, it has been found necessary to relocate 16 of the previously approved sites. The resiting requirements was referred to in para 2 (h) of our Treasury Board submission S10-136-80/5 TD 1229 (AMTS) dated 14 August, 1961. A summary of the changes in operational requirements which made this resiting necessary is attached as Appendix "A". Accordingly, 16 of the sites approved by Treasury Board Minute 566358, 29 September 1960, which do not conform to the revised CADIN siting and coverage criteria, must be deleted from the construction programs, and new sites substituted as follows:
Sites to be Deleted | New Sites Requiring Approval | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
  | Approved Funds |   | Estimated Cost | BOD |
Alder River, NS | 154,000 | Beaver Tower, Que | 313,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Buckhorn, Ont | 115,000 | Brownrigg, Ont | 237,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Fort Francis, Ont | 164,000 | Gold Rock, Ont | 402,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Geraldton, Ont | 176,000 | Gowganda, Ont | 442,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Graham, Ont | 234,000 | Graham, Ont (relocated) | 386,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Lac des Loups, Que | 227,000 | L'Anse St Jean, Que | 590,000 | 1 Jul 62 |
La Macaza, Que | 256,000 | L'Ascension, Que | 252,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Les Etroits, NB | 247,000 | Manitouwadge, Ont | 169,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Mt Carleton, NB | 325,000 | Mattawa, Ont | 238,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Mt Carleton, Que | 232,000 | Nishkotea Lake, Que | 261,000 | 1 Jul 62 |
New Yarmouth, NS | 220,000 | Squatteck, Que | 199,000 | 1 Jul 62 |
Portneuf, Que | 385,000 | St Adalbert, Que | 212,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Redditt, Ont | 153,000 | St Hedwidge, Que | 267,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
Silver Falls, Ont | 152,000 | Taschereau, Que | 217,000 | 1 Aug 62 |
St Cleophas, Que | 230,000 | Whitefish Lake, Ont | 354,000 | 1 Jul 62 |
Ste Cecile, Que | 252,000 | White Brook, NB | 169,000 | 1 Jul 62 |
Deleted Sites | $3,532,000 |   | $4,708,000 |   |
The main factor accounting for cost in excess of $200,000.00 at any one site is the construction of access roads.
The problems associated with the siting of the Gap Fillers, resulting in the construction of access roads, were as follows:
As an extreme example of the higher costs the access road at L'Anse St Jean entails the construction of ten miles of new road up a mountain, at an estimated cost of $400,000.00 for this portion of the work. This site had to be selected to fulfill the requirements as noted above.
Cost estimates for these 16 sites include site development, radar and power buildings, tower foundations, water and sewage, fuel storage, fencing and access roads. The buildings will be prefabricated steel 1,400 square feet for the radar building and 1,000 square feet for the power building including emergency living quarters. The radar tower will require constuction of the foundations only, since the tower itself will be provided by the USAF. Access roads are to be 10 foot gravel with 3 foot shoulders. In order to meet the BOD's shown above, it will be necessary to issue the projects to DCL prior to 31 December 1961.
Negotiations for land acquisition are being undertaken by DOT. Funds for the property requirements have been provided by Primary 80 (1961-62).
The estimated costs have been checked by appropriate RCAF authorities, and is considered reasonable and accurate.
The undersigned therefore recommends that authority b be granted:
Funds are available from the Defence Services appropriations for the RCAF for the fiscal yar 1961-62.
Yours sincerely,
(EB Armstrong)
Deputy Minister
(CEF Underwood) W/C
CEC-2
(CL Ingles) G/C
DCEC
(RB Whiting) A/C
CCE
(JA Easton) A/V/M
AMTS
(IC Cornblat) A/V/M
for CAS