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 Intrinsic
      
Location: Collingwood
Gender: Male
 |  | CFS Ramore
< on 6/24/2009 6:11 AM >
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Pearl Harbour clearly demonstrated the ability of enemy bombers to cross enemy lines and drop bombs on crucial targets. To shoot down such enemy planes, the military used ground based guns as well as aircraft. The problem with using aircraft interception was that the enemy planes had to be detected in time to launch intercepting aircraft before enemy planes dropped their payloads.
It was estimated that by 1954, the USSR would have the capability to send long-range bombers to target North American locations. By January 1951 both the American and Canadian military were working to complete plans for a Long Range Aircraft Warning network. This network of radar sites would send out radar signals that would bounce back from enemy planes and reveal their location. This Radio Wave Detection and Ranging (RADAR) technology, then, could be used to provide the early warning (EW) and ground-control intercept (GCI) capability
The Canadian government approved the plan on February 21, 1951 and as did the American president on April 14, 1951. The project became known by its American nickname, Project Pinetree, after the heavily forested geographic locations of many of the radar sites.
With government approval granted, construction commenced on Pinetree radar stations across Canada including one located in Ramore, Ontario. Construction on the Ramore base began in 1950 and was completed by 1953. The base was manned by members of the United States Air Force’s 912th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron.
Ramore contained an FPS-3 search radar, TPS-502 Height finder radar and an FPS-502 Back-Up Search radar. The back-up radar could function as either search or height radar. The operating radius was approximately 180 miles which stretched as far west as Hearst and as far north as Moosonee.
During the late 1950’s, the Mid-Canada Line was developed as a secondary line of detection in case enemy aircraft penetrated the Distant Early Warning system line. This consisted of approximately 90 unmanned sites and eight Sector Control Stations located along the 55th parallel. Each site sent out a radio beam to its neighboring site. If an aircraft interrupted the beam, an intruder alarm would sound.
Ramore was chosen as a relay station for signals coming in from the Sector Control Site 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 required the installation of a large parabolic antenna on Mount Kempis.
Pinetree stations were also subject to ground attacks. Each station was equipped with a Base Defence Force or BDF whose skills were sometimes tested against army units during practice drills.
Station personnel were often located in rural locations and had to preoccupy themselves during their off time. Many joined sports teams, motorcycling clubs, stamp clubs or amateur radio associations. Civilians were welcomed at the base either as club participants or to the recreational facilities such as the swimming pool.
Some of the buildings located on the property included the combined mess hall, officers quarters, NCO’s quarters, OR’s quarters, Supply, Administration & Recreation Building, chlorinator house, guard shack, heated garages and power plant.
The AC&W squadron remained in control of operations at Remore until early 1962 when operation of the radar base was transferred from the Americans to the Canadian military under operation of the Number 35 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron. The RCAF renamed the site RCAF Station Ramore. This was part of a deal that came as a result of the cancellation of the Avro Arrow. Canada would lease 66 F-101 Voodoo fighters and take over operation of 12 Pinetree radar bases including Ramore. New equipment was also acquired around that time, first in Search and Height-Finder radars and then in computers as part of the squadron's automation.
Ramore ceased to be a relay station in April 1965 when the Mid-Canada Line was no longer economically feasible or required due to improvements in technology.
On August 10, 1967 the 35 Radar Squadron became known as Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Ramore when it combined with the Canadian Armed Forces. It continued to serve as an advanced warning system until it’s closure on April 1, 1974 along with two other stations in Ontario when they were deemed no longer necessary. By the 1980s some of the vacuum-tube equipment at the bases had become so obsolete that replacement tubes could only be obtained from factories in the Soviet Union. Two of the radar antennas were donated to the Military Communications and Electronics Museum in Kingston upon Ramore’s closure.
CFS Lowther near Hearst and CFS Senneterre in Quebec handled the coverage area that Ramore had previously monitored.
In 1975, the station was sold to the Black Matheson township for $100,000 and was reopened as the Lava Mountain Lodge, a resort and drinking establishment.
Sources:
The NBC Group - Don Nicks, John Bradley, Chris Charland
Pinetreeline.org (Paul Ozorak)
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MHInc
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: CFS Ramore
<Reply # 1 on 6/24/2009 8:22 AM >
| | | | A Resort and Drinking Establishment eh?
Nice work! Loved the set and write up! Thanks for sharing!
What REALLY sucks is I was up that way ( in Matheson ) I drove my friends kids home Labour Day 2008. I was literally there for 30 minutes, waiting for the gas station to open so I had enough gas to get me back to North Bay to fill up again for the long Trek home. Wish I would have known about this place then!
[last edit 6/24/2009 8:25 AM by MHInc - edited 1 times]
MH Inc. Photography Canada
http://www.mhinccanada.com
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Axle
Location: Milton, ON
Gender: Male
Sieg oder Tod
| | Re: CFS Ramore
<Reply # 2 on 6/24/2009 12:42 PM >
| | | | I really enjoyed driving around this place back over the may long weekend despite the cold weather and threatening skies.
http://www.flickr....72157618431328105/
Celer at Audax
Para la Victoria Siempre Alemanes! |
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Intrinsic
Location: Collingwood
Gender: Male
| | Re: CFS Ramore
<Reply # 3 on 6/24/2009 5:38 PM >
| | | | Posted by MHInc
A Resort and Drinking Establishment eh?
Nice work! Loved the set and write up! Thanks for sharing!
What REALLY sucks is I was up that way ( in Matheson ) I drove my friends kids home Labour Day 2008. I was literally there for 30 minutes, waiting for the gas station to open so I had enough gas to get me back to North Bay to fill up again for the long Trek home. Wish I would have known about this place then!
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Thank you.
The next time you're in the area take a pit-stop to Cobalt. There are dozens of old mines and assorted infrastructure. There are also two large mining operations (Ross and Adams) completely abandoned (north).
My rule of thumb is to always try to consult the database before taking a roadtrip just in case there's something of interest out that way (providing there's an entry for the town).
[last edit 6/24/2009 5:39 PM by Intrinsic - edited 1 times]
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MHInc
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
Gender: Male
| | | Re: CFS Ramore
<Reply # 4 on 7/7/2009 2:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by Intrinsic
Thank you.
The next time you're in the area take a pit-stop to Cobalt. There are dozens of old mines and assorted infrastructure. There are also two large mining operations (Ross and Adams) completely abandoned (north).
My rule of thumb is to always try to consult the database before taking a roadtrip just in case there's something of interest out that way (providing there's an entry for the town).
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Well I will be heading back up that way shortly for the same reason, this time I plan on taking my time and bringing the camera. Thanks for the info!
MH Inc. Photography Canada
http://www.mhinccanada.com
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