Construction commenced on the USAF's Ramore Air Station in 1950. The station was first manned by the USAF's 912th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron. The early warning 917th AC&W Squadron resided there until January 1962. During this time, the Americans became a big part of the surrounding area's community life.
The RCAF took over the station on 2 January 1962 and renamed the site, 35 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron, RCAF Station Ramore. 35 AC&W Squadron had actually been formed on 1 November 1961 for administrative purposes but did not handle any of the operational requirements of Ramore until the official hand-over. The unit became operational with the SAGE system on 1 October 1963 and the unit's manual operations ceased on the Pinetree Line. They reported to the Ottawa NORAD Sector which had been previously known as the Ottawa Air Defence Sector. On 1 May 1964, 35 AC&W Squadron was renamed 35 Radar Squadron, Ramore and were designated as a long range radar site. Support services were provided by RCAF Station North Bay, 185 miles south on Highway 11.
When the mid-Canada line was opened in the late Fifties, RCAF Station Ramore was utilized as a relay station for signals coming from one of the Sector Control Sites (SCS) at RCAF Station Winisk. The signals would be sent to Ramore via a Tropospheric scatter system and then they would forward the signals via a land-line to the RCC at North Bay. This service provided by Ramore, ceased in April 1965 when the Mid-Canada Line was stood down and RCAF Station Winisk was closed.
As a result of unification, 35 Radar Squadron became Canadian Forces Station Ramore on 10 August 1967. In the fall of 1973, the station Ground Search and Rescue team was called out to look for the occupants of a Cessna light aircraft that had crashed at Kenogami near Kirkland Lake. The rescuers, themselves, were in some degree of danger as it was hunting season; but they were successful in their mission. The personnel of CFS Ramore, like their American counterparts, became an integral part of life in the area. Many lived in surrounding communities; about one third lived in Kirkland Lake, while others lived in one of the 36 mobile homes in Matheson. The station assumed parent responsibility for 288 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in Kirkland Lake.
Unfortunately, the station was one of many radar sites on the chopping block due to technological advances and shifting defence priorities. CFS Ramore was gone by 1 October 1974.
--The NBC Group - Don Nicks, John Bradley, Chris Charland.