Frobisher Bay, NWT

1998 - General History - Ren L'Ecuyer

Originally known as Frobisher Bay, Iqaluit is at the head of a long bay bordered by the Becher and Meta Incognita Peninsulas bearing the name Frobisher. It has ties with the military since the dark days of World War II. The American government built a strategic weather station called Crystal I, as well as an airfield. The airfield was used as a stepping stone for aircraft being ferried overseas. It was a vital part of the Crimson Staging Route which saw over 24,000 aircraft pass through. In 1944, the airfield was bought by the Canadian government for 6.8 million dollars. When the Americans moved back to Canadian Department of Transport administered Frobisher Bay Airport in 1951, they extended the paved runway to 9,000 feet for Strategic Air Command aerial tanker operations.

The USAF also financed, constructed and manned the 926th AC&W Squadron at Frobisher Bay. This unit became operational on December 19, 1953 when it was assigned to the 64th Air Division. The original Pinetree Line radar station was located on top of a nearby hill, some three to five km from the town of Frobisher Bay. All that remains is a concrete footing for one of the original buildings.

In 1953, the Royal Canadian Navy moved a Naval Radio Station from Fort Chimo, Quebec to Frobisher Bay which offered a HF-DF (High Frequency-Direction Finding) service to pilots. The RCAF assumed control of Frobisher Bay during the summer of 1958. The RCAF, and later Canadian Forces, has maintained a long standing limited detachment at Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit). Iqaluit has been a Forward Operating Location (FOL) since the early 1990's. A typical Forward Operating Location consists of six hangerettes, an operations unit, a living area with washing facilities (there are cots for up to 200 personnel) and a mess hall. To expedite launching the alert aircraft, the hangars are a taxi in-taxi out type and are located close to the runway.

Frobisher Bay also serves as a Logistic Support Site (LSS) for the North Warning System (NWS). The LSS consists of a complex located close to the airport. There is no radar tower there but the complex does maintain satellite communications with the rest of the NWS. A large warehouse serves as a storage area for assorted parts that are required to maintain the many sites within the NWS. This location is also a staging point for technicians that do the work on the various sites in their zone.

--Ren L'Ecuyer