Canada's Bomarc Squadrons

The second RCAF missile squadron was No. 447 (Surface/Air Missile) Squadron located at RCAF Station La Macaza, Quebec. The designation was later changed to 447 (Surface-to-Air Missile) Squadron. The station itself became self-accounting on 1 February 1962 and the Squadron was officially formed on 15 September 1962.

The Squadron was to have been named as No. 2 (Surface-to-Air Missile) Squadron but this was amended prior to stand up and the unit was designated as 447 to remain within the RCAF 400 series block.

Construction for the site began in the autumn of 1960. As La Macaza was built away from any other Station, they had to be self-contained. This meant that, unlike 446 Squadron at North Bay, La Macaza required barracks, workshops, chapels, recreations centres, and all the other buildings and organizations as would be found at any self-contained station.

Within the site perimeter were two major areas. The first was a support area which was fenced off and manned by security personnel ona 24-hour basis. Within the support area was a second fenced compound which was the launch area. One feature that La Macaza differed from its counterpart at North Bay, was the fact that there was a 6,000 foot runway immediately adjacent to the Station. This allowed for the easy transport of personnel and equipment. Operational control for the squadron was initially exercised by the Northern NORAD Region through the Bangor NORAD Sector.

447 (Bomarc) Squadron received its first warheads in later 1963. As the station was adjacent to the long runway, transporting the weapons from the aircraft to the station was almost immediate and involved very little in the way of special preparations. While in Canada the weapons were actually in the custody of Detachment 2 of the USAF's 425th Munitions Maintenance Squadron.

The squadron members maintained their missiles and remained on stand-by on a 24 hour basis and like their sister squadron, deployed to Eglin AFB, Florida for training.

All of the same factors that brought about the closure of 446 Squadron affected 447 Squadron with the end result being that 447 (SAM) Squadron was stood down on 7 April and disbanded on 1 September 1972.

While the squadron has long since departed, their shelters have also remained. Additionally, the long runway is still in use by private pilots throughout the region. Thw squadron was, unlike its counterpart, 446 (SAM) Squadron, reformed on 1 January 1979 as 447 (Helicopter) Squadron flying the CH-147 Chinook. With the withdrawal of the CH-147 from service, the squadron was stood down on 1 April 1991.