Falconbridge, ON
Photographs

Bob Agar visited the remains at Falconbridge on 25 August 1999. He reports as follows: "Most of the PMQ's were in use, but some were empty. The PMQ area is fenced off from the main station and there was a guard at the main gate to the station. I finished looking around PMQ's and looked through the fence at the domestic site. I then drove to the main gate which was open with no one in the guardhouse. I sat there for a few minutes and no one came out, so I drove in and parked on the same side of the road as the guardhouse, but around a slight bend and just down from the mess hall. I think I was probably just out of sight from the guardhouse. I walked up to the Operations site (the buildings are falling apart), took pictures, and then did the same at the domestic site. By this time, it was two hours later. I was getting ready to pack it in when a female guard (now in the guardhouse) noticed me crossing the road by the Mess Hall. She waved at me, so I waved back. By the time I was leaving, a male security guard showed up and he just waved me goodbye."

Paul Ozorak visited the same location in May 1999. He reported as follows: "Most of what once made up the radar station is still there - after all these years. The PMQ's are still standing, as is the Recreation centre, chapel, combined mess, and two barrack blocks (now unused). The headquarters building, guard house and engineering shops are also intact. The Operations site is also intact - except for the missing radomes - and this area is unused."

We need your help. You are encouraged to browse through the following photographs which depict the remains of the domestic site in 1999. Can you identify any of the buildings? If so – please give us a hand – and pass the detail (making reference to the photo number) to us by email. We will then adjust the descriptions accordingly.


Click on the description text to view the photograph.
  1. CE on left with guardhouse at main gate at right. Taken from the highway - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  2. Front of All Ranks Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  3. Front of All Ranks Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  4. Rear of All Ranks Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  5. Rear of All Ranks Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  6. Rear wing of All Ranks Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  7. Combined Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  8. (L-R) Ridgeview School, Teen Town and rear of Combined Mess - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  9. Side view of the Ridgeview School - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  10. Ridgeview School - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  11. Playground equipment behind the Ridgeview School - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  12. Female quarters - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  13. Unidentified building in domestic site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  14. Unidentified building in domestic site. Beside the chapel, facing the PMQ area - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  15. Unidentified building in the domestic site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  16. Headquarters (left) AJO/CELE School (mid rear) and Ridgeview School (right) - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  17. Headquarters building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  18. Headquarters building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  19. Back of Headquarters building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  20. Ground keepers supply storage area on left and MSE complex on right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  21. Back of Station Chapel - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  22. Mixed Transient Quarters - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  23. Mixed Transient Quarters - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  24. Mixed Transient Quarters - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  25. Station Fire Hall - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  26. Fence dividing the PMQ area and the domestic site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  27. PMQ area - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  28. Local business located in the domestic site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  29. Hobby Shop - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  30. Rec Hall - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  31. Rec Hall - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  32. Operations site as seen from the main highway - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  33. Road going to the Operations site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  34. Foundation of Upper Guard House looking into the Operations site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  35. Foundation of Upper Guard House looking down the access road - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  36. Main Operations building complex with what appears to be the original Upper Guard House building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  37. Main Operations building complex - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  38. Main Operations building complex - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  39. Storage tower to right of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    This bldg had a small Ops Supply section on the first floor. See the Operations Site building diagram - 1976 courtesy of Fred Southwell. The second floor was empty in 1971 and the HF maintenance section took over in about 1974. The 3rd floor had microwave telephone equipment until about 1975. The 3rd floor was taken over by the Radar Counter Measures School which had occupied Barrack Block 1 (facing the HQ bldg). In about 1975 the Air Weapons Control School moved from Lac St Denis to occupy part of the other tower which formerly housed the GKA5/FRT49 GATR school. The Air Weapons and Counter Measures amalgamated to form the AWC&CS (Air Weapons Control and Countermeasures School). Their HQs was in North Bay.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  40. Interior view of the SAGE Annex building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  41. Interior view of the SAGE Annex building - 25 August 1999.
    This was the SAGE Annex as shown in picture 43. This room was originally for the FST2 room. The FST2 was the first SAGE computer at Radar sites. It consisted of three banks of equipment, one for power and two channels. Note grating in floor - these were to provide air conditioning for the tube computer equipment. After the FYQ47 was installed in the DMCC (Main Building) the FST2 room became the BDF (Base Defence Force) room.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  42. Main Operations building on left and Operations Supply tower to right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  43. SAGE Annex building behind the main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  44. #0 height finder tower on left with main Operations buildings on right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  45. #0 height finder tower, SAGE Annex building and main Operations building in background right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  46. Rear of main Operations building and catwalks - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  47. Rear of main Operations building and catwalks - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  48. Rear of main Operations building and catwalks. SAGE Annex building on right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  49. Catwalks, right (storage) tower, and rear of main Operations buildings - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  50. Catwalks, right (storage) tower, and rear of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  51. Left tower at rear of Operations site (Height finder #0 tower) - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  52. Left tower at rear of Operations site (Height finder #0 tower) - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  53. #1 height finder tower on right - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  54. #1 height finder tower - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  55. #1 height finder tower - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  56. Front of right tower - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  57. This building was one of the early communications sites - 25 August 1999.
    Two buildings were used for communications. One was the transmitter site the other was the receiver site. The transmitter site was located inside the fence with the main operations building. See picture 17 "Operations site on the hill" - April 1959, Courtesy Fred Southwell. The receiver site building was out behind Height Finder 1 on a small hill.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  58. Unidentified building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  59. Water storage area and pump house at Operations site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  60. Interior view of catwalk - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  61. Interior hallway in the main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  62. Interior view of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  63. Interior view of main Operations building, main floor - 25 August 1999.
    This room was called the "Equipment Room" and contained the following: a. 2 Channels of the FPS508B; b. 2 CGAs (Control Group Assemblies) for the Height Finders and c. 2 UPX14s IFF/SIF. The door on the back left went into the maintenance shop. The upper room held the air conditioning for the equipment.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  64. Interior view of main Operations building looking up at second floor - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  65. Interiod view of main Operations building, main floor - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  66. Interior view of main Operations building looking up at second floor - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  67. Second level in main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  68. Second level of main Operations building looking down at main floor - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  69. Second level of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  70. Second level of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  71. Second level of main Operations building - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  72. Second level of main Operations building, looking down at main floor - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  73. Top of first tower on entering Operations site - 25 August 1999.
    Courtesy Bob Agar.

  74. Main gate (guardhouse) in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  75. Local business in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  76. Recreation Hall in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  77. Combined Mess Hall, messes and clubs in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  78. Unidentified building in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  79. PMQ's in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  80. Chapel in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  81. PMQs (fondly referred to as "Tin Huts") in the domestic site - May 1999.
    These PMQs were commonly referred to as Tin Town. The houses had no basements and 9 or 10 foot ceilings with the heating vents at the 8 foot mark.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  82. Unused PMQ in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  83. Unused PMQ's in the domestic site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  84. Operations site showing main operations building, five towers (no radomes) and the connecting catwalks - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  85. Main Operations building and one of the towers (no radomes) at the Operations site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  86. This structure, located in front of Operations building, was used to contain cables - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  87. This structure, in front of one of the towers at the Operations site, was used to contain cables - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  88. One of the towers at the Operations site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  89. One of the towers with connecting catwalk at the Operations site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.

  90. Connecting catwalk at the Operations site - May 1999.
    Courtesy Paul Ozorak.


Photographic Credits

All photos are used with permission.

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Updated: October 17, 1999