So, I'm planning a roadtrip for the future, and for the BC leg I wanted to go through the jasper parks. Just noticed something...

On Tabor mountain, there's a big, round structure of sorts, or at least what is left of one. I came to realize that, judging by position (height) and shape, it was most likely an observatory, I had wondered if it was functioning but, there exists next to no history on it, apart from this article;
https://www.prince...he-heavens-3690571

"We were also shown the large telescope (a 0.6 meter Cassegrain telescope according to their pamphlet) that was built by members of the community 20 years ago. I was saddened to hear that the observatory was originally built at Tabor Mountain but due to continued vandalism, it was moved to it's current location."
and here, with an original photo:
https://pgrasc.org.../09/Historynew.pdf


here's a closeup.

here's the route, i'd've posted more detail if not for the upload limit. Just hit up tabor mountain in google maps and it's pretty easy to find.

click to view

Man check it out, that looks sweet.

Worse comes to worse you could probably get some rad astrophotography pics there.

Gunna be long?

was looking around and found a Management plan for Mt Tabor Rec Area, might be something in there. All I could see on a quick look is perhaps might be a Staging Area as shown on their maps

https://tmrs.ca/wp...approved-Final.pdf

Look at the name of the access road.

"VOR Road" sounds kinda strange, right?

My first thought when seeing the circular clearing was "Looks like an old VOR site." My second thought was "You mean to tell me the local community decided to somehow get permission to level a mountain peak, buy a weather-hardened building & buy a telescope to put up there?!" But then a couple minutes later, I finally noticed the name of the access road and VOILA!! the site must have started off as a VHF Omni Range (VOR) aeronautical radio beacon used as a NAVAID (navigational aid) for aircraft traffic. Some VORs were location on airport grounds, others were located in fairly remote areas.

VOR sites (at least in the USA) date back to the late 1940s. Some have been phased-out decades ago due to changes in aviation navigational routes, many more have/are being phased-out over the past decade or two thanks to modern technology like GPS and being somewhat expensive to operate & maintain.

https://en.wikiped...idirectional_range

https://www.navcan...ation-program.aspx


So the Canadian government choosing the location to construct a VOR station, probably back in the 1950s/1960s, then it shutting-down the station & allowing the beneficial re-use of the basic structure & infrastructure for a community science project, which likely had the backing of some area college or other scientific institution. No beneficial re-use plan often then means the gov't agency has to remove the site & restore it to resembling how it originally was -- all costing $$$, especially if it's some remote location hard to get workers & trucks to.


/-/ooligan

Posted by selectedgrub Gunna be long?

Well i'm across the country and don't have the money to travel so, very!

Posted by /-/ooligan Look at the name of the access road. "VOR Road" sounds kinda strange, right? No beneficial re-use plan often then means the gov't agency has to remove the site & restore it to resembling how it originally was -- all costing $$$, especially if it's some remote location hard to get workers & trucks to. /-/ooligan

Shortened but, yes and no! If you check out the links in the first/initial post,here;

https://pgrasc.org.../09/Historynew.pdf


There's a photo on the second page of the observatory, which looks a lot like the remaining circle. It's likely just an empty building but, the location and the travel might make it worth it. Even from that photo however, I can't exactly see much else, this looks like it's standing on some sort of square pedestal along with the inside of the structure, perhaps the dome got blown off in a storm one day?

_{Edit: Fixed link ~Wang}

Nothing I saw in the photos stood-out as being remains of a VOR site -- looks like the old telescope structure, including foundation, was indeed purpose-built for that.

Posted by /-/ooligan Nothing I saw in the photos stood-out as being remains of a VOR site -- looks like the old telescope structure, including foundation, was indeed purpose-built for that.

which kinda makes it make less sense that it'd be called VOR road, maybe during ww2 there was something there, or shortly after as there's enough room across the road/river from the mountain to have an airstrip, but no visible remains whatsoever... it's strange, someone definitely needs to check this out. Always fun finding the weird and wacky over sat view.