At the height of the Cold War, the RCAF and USAF together established a multi-million dollar electronic warning fence along the 50th parallel. The fence, known as the Pinetree network, consisted of individual radar stations spread more or less evenly along the line. Radars at these sites scanned the skies continuously for hostile aircraft. In Quebec, two such stations were set up at Parent and Mont Apica in 1952 but in the early 1960s, a new station was constructed north of the 50th at Chibougamau to fill a gap in coverage between those two sites.
RCAF Station Chibougamau was officially formed on 1 May 1962. The operating unit, 10 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, first operated as a Ground-Control Intercept unit with the job of directing fighter interceptors to oncoming enemy bombers. The squadron first carried out these operations with an FPS-20 search radar and two FPS-6B height-finders but the arms race being what it is, they were later replaced with the more capable FPS-507A and the FPS-93A respectively. The FPS-507A had the advantage of being equipped with new electronic counter-counter measures equipment such as Cascade-Dicke and log receivers while the FPS-93A had the same receivers along with a pi-filter wide-band pre-amplifier. Other equipment, such as the UPX-14 Selective Identification Feature (SIF) receiver, helped identify friendly aircraft. The operating unit was not known as an AC&W Squadron for very long as its automation in 1963 saw it re-designated 10 Radar Squadron. Typically of such units, its function was reflected in its motto of Intrus Prenez Garde (Trespassers Beware).
RCAF Station, later Canadian Forces Station, Chibougamau was first and foremost an Air Defence Command unit. No matter the squadrons title, its role was always to warn of intruders. Stations along the Pinetree network usually had the same basic population of approximately 200 service personnel and civilian support staff. Chibougamau differed in layout in that while station headquarters and the domestic area was in the town proper, the operations site was some distance away a few miles north on a mountain-top. The large white radomes visible for mile stood as true symbols of RCAF vigilance.
On a daily basis, staff at Chibougamau tracked all aircraft within its 200-mile operating radius. Those that could not be identified through SIF or aviation records were raised by radio and asked to identify themselves. f communication was impossible, jets from Bagotville were scrambled for visual contact. It is not believed that Soviet bombers ever accidentally ventured this far south into Canada and the most common bogeys were probably civilian airliners who had deviated from their flight path. This along with search and rescue operations and the many air defence exercises organized by ADCHQ always kept the men and women at Chibougamau on their toes. As with many other Pinetree stations, CFS Chibougamau was closed in the 1980s because of redundancy. The new North Warning System in the far north, the DEW Lines replacement, was developed to handle all air defence warning needs. The station was closed on 1 April 1988 (after recently celebrating its 25th anniversary) and military uniforms became a thing of the past in this small town.
When visited by the author in 1988, the station headquarters, mess hall and military residences on Dakota Crescent, Sabre Avenue and Harvard Circle still stood but were rumored to be destroyed. This has not in fact occurred. Most of the buildings have remained and some such as the headquarters and garage are used by the city. A golf club, seniors home and a woodworking shop occupy some of the other structures. From 1988 to 1993, the operations site north of the city was used by Transport Canada for air traffic surveillance and its personnel lived in the officers quarters in the radar building itself. After a new automatic radar was put up a few miles away for Transport, the old operations building on Mont Bourbeau was torn down. In one quiet part of the town, a height-finder can be found standing as a reminder of what once was.
Pinetree Line Comments
There appears to be conflicting detail as to when the unit was closed. Official documentation indicates 1 April 1987 as the date that the height finder was turned off - and hence, I guess that this date has been interpreted by some as the date the unit closed down. Other sources indicate 1 April 1988 as the date that the unit ceased to be operational and from an administrative stand point, 1 August 1988 as the date when the last military member left. One point to note is that the SSR (UPX-14s) and the CD stayed behind for another 4-5 years to provide radar data to TC Montreal. - Jean Roy.