The Future of the Facilities
The negative impact of the closures can be to a great extent offset if the radar station facilities are properly used after the closures. Each site has been offered by the federal government through Public Works Canada (PWC) to the other federal departments, to the provincial governments, and if there is no reversion clause, to municipalities and regional governments and finally to the private sector via public tender. Local communities have been formed at each location to help in search for a suitable alternative use of the facilities. Although matters tend to change rather often, the latest developments as of the beginning of March were as follows:
CFS Sioux Lookout
The town has bought the main site although it may eventually be taken over by the province. It seems that a skills school geared to the needs of northern residents in general, and the native population in particular could prove a viable idea. Such an educational facility could be run by the Thunder Bay College. The station facilities could also be used to provide more space for boarding native students who must come south to Sioux Lookout to attend high school. At present there is a severe shortage of accommodation for these students. Hence, such projects would definitely prove useful to the regional population. The GATR and dump sites were turned over to the province. The trailer park will go to public tender. Again, the remoteness of the station is a definite drawback when it comes to the private sector.
This article was obtained from the National Archives of Canada. Unfortunately, there is no way of identifying the source since we were only provided with the appropriate detail pertaining to this station. The article appears to have been written in the summer of 1988.