The Secretary of State for External Affairs presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America and has the honour to refer to the Notes which have been exchanged in the course of the last seven months concerning the proposed construction by the United States Air Force of air strips at the United States Air Force Aircraft Control and Warning Stations at Resolution Island, Hopedale, Cartwright and St. Anthony.
In reviewing the progress of the projects to construct the above-mentioned air strips, the Canadian authorities have noted that the Canadian Government has not expressly stated in the form of a diplomatic Note its approval of the construction and use by the United States Air Force of the air strips which were constructed some time ago at the Aircraft Control and Warning Stations at Saglek, Labrador (Newfoundland), and at Puntzi Mountain, British Columbia.
Accordingly, the Canadian Government is pleased to state that it approves of the construction and operation of the air strips at Saglek and Puntzi Mountain, subject to the provisions of the Exchange of Notes of August 1, 1951, between Canada and the United States of America, constituting an Agreement regarding the extension and co-ordination of the continental radar defence system, and in particular to the provision of paragraph 5 (a) of Note No. 454 of August 1, 1951, from the Canadian Ambassador in Washington to the Secretary of State of the United States. This paragraph requires that there shall be prior consultation with respect to all major construction and the installation of all major equipment. In the event of any further major construction being contemplated, such consultation might, if the United States Air Force so desires, be undertaken in the first instance through Service channels.
In addition, the approval of the Canadian Government is subject to the following conditions:
(a) The air strips are used, and will be used, by the United States Air Force solely for the support of the Aircraft Control and Warning Stations at those places.
(b) If the United States Air Force should desire at any time to use the air strips for other purposes, requests should be forwarded through appropriate channels.
(c) The air strips shall be available for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force, if required.
(d) The air strips shall also be available for use by Canadian civil air carriers operating into or through the area concerned, provided that this right will be exercised only after any proposal to use the air strips has been submitted through the Royal Canadian Air Force to the United States Air Force to ensure that it will not conflict with military requirements, and subject to the understanding that the United States Air Force will not be responsible for the provision of accommodation, fuel or servicing facilities of any kind. This condition is, however, without prejudice to arrangements which may already be in existence for the use of the air strips by Canadian civil air carriers.
(e) The United States Air Force will forward to the Royal Canadian Air Force through Service channels complete descriptions of the air strips, including their exact location, dimensions and orientation, the type of surface, the nature of the adjacent terrain and the location of obstructions in the vicinity (especially those in the approach areas to the strips).
The Canadian Government wishes to state further that the above conditions also apply to the use by the United States Air Force of the air strip at the Aircraft Control and Warning Station at Resolution Island, N.W.T., in addition to the conditions set forth in Note No. D-126 of May 19, 1954.
R.A. MacKay