The Pinetree Line Gap Filler Sites

The RCAF gap-filler program was initiated in October 1959 and cancelled in January 1964.

We have obtained a significant number of RCAF Gap Filler Historical Reports from the National Archives of Canada. This detail has provided an opportunity to recreate the intent of the RCAF Gap Filler program but we have NOT been able to determine (with any degree of accuracy) exactly what happened during this period of time.

In early to mid 1959, the program appeared to be Canada wide - with sites proposed for both western and eastern Canada. The RCAF Gap Filler program was eventually approved in October 1959 but sites were limited to the eastern provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The number of approved sites fluctuated with the passing of time but the governmenteventually settled with 45. We know that that construction at some of the proposed gap-filler sites was eventually completed. Other locations were at various stages of construction when the program was cancelled in 1964. We have also been able to determine that construction had never started at about half of the proposed sites which had been planned "on paper". About 20 of the initially selected sites were subsequently relocated.

The RCAF gap-filler program was initiated in 1959 to provide coverage of areas not scanned by long-range Pinetree Line radar sites. These unmanned sites were to consist of two buildings and a single radar tower, often no more than 70 feet in height. Detail which has been obtained to date indicates that the RCAF gap-filler sites were to have made use of the FPS-18 radar equipment. The RCAF gap-filler program was deferred for a year in August of 1962 and the entire program was eventually cancelled in January 1964 when the Canadian government cut the budget for the RCAF. It is assumed that all of the gap-filler sites, both those completed and those that were still under construction, were eventually dismantled.

Gap Filler Identification	Gap Filler Location	Latitude	Longitude	Reports To	1962 Code	Remarks
CG1	Nobel, ON	45 25 28	80 05 40	Falconbridge, ON	C-9C	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG2	Nicolet, QC	56 08 56	72 39 15	Lac St. Denis, QC	C-2E	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG3	Tobermory, ON	45 13 25	81 38 14	Falconbridge, ON	C-9B	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG4	St. Joseph, NS	44 15 49	66 06 56	Barrington, NS	M-102B	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG5	Formosa, ON	43 55 50	81 00 24	Edgar, ON	C-4D	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG6	Scotch Settlement, NB	45 43 20	65 46 30	St. Margarets, NB	C-5A	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG7	Lac St. Marie, QC	45 56 124	75 51 047	Lac St. Denis, QC	C-2D	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG8	Algonquin Park, ON	45 33 51	78 33 40	Foymount, ON	C-3C	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG9	Elliot Lake, ON	46 23 10	82 37 17	Sault Ste. Marie AFS, MI, USA	P-66E	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG10	Oba, ON	48 59 094	85 56 347	Lowther, ON	M-119D	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG11	Chapleau, ON	47 54 08	85 23 35	Lowther, ON	M-119B	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG12	La Tuque, QC	47 12 35	73 12 27	Mont Apica, QC	C-1D	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG13	Todd Mountain, NB	46 32 329	66 42 034	St. Margarets, NB	C-5B	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962
CG14	Timmins, ON	48 32 10	81 32 16	Ramore, ON	C-10D	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG15	Belleterre, QC	47 21 25	78 40 54	Ramore, ON	C-10B	95% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG16	Nipigon, ON	49 01 26	88 26 27	Finland AFS, MN, USA	P-69E	10% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG17	Atikokan, ON	48 47 42	91 36 48	Sioux Lookout, ON	C-16B	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG18	Westport, ON	44 44 00	76 25 20	Foymount, ON	C-3A	Relocated. 50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG19	Biscotasing, ON	47 15 32	82 07 23	Lowther, ON	M-119C	50-75% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG20	Marathon, ON	48 44 40	86 35 00	Pagwa, ON	C-14B	10% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG21	Shemogue, NB	46 05 44	64 16 49	St. Margarets, NB	C-5C	Relocated from Mt. Carleton. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG22	Bridgetown, NS	44 51 40	65 20 55	Beaverbank, NS	C-11F	Relocated from New Yarmouth. 10% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG23	Hastings, ON	44 18 00	78 00 30	Edgar, ON	C-4E	Relocated from Buckhorn. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG24	Stoney Creek, ON	43 10 17	79 41 06	Lockport AFS, NY, USA	P-21E	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG25	Sparta, ON	42 43 30	81 06 12	Selfridge AFB, MI, USA	P-20E	10% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG26	Lucknow, ON	43 57 40	81 32 51	Edgar, ON	C-4F	Relocated from Redditt. 10% completed as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG27	Batchewana, ON	47 04 30	84 22 58	Sault Ste. Marie AFS, MI, USA	P-66C	10% completed as of 14 Sep 1962. Constructed
CG28	Eaglet River, ON	47 56 51	85 24 48	Sault Ste. Marie AFS, MI, USA	P-66D	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG29	L'Anse St. Jean, QC	48 01 20	70 22 39	Mont Apica, QC	C-1C	Relocated from Port Neuf. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG30	Summerville Centre, NS	45 58 42	64 50 30	Beaverbank, NS	C-11D	Relocated from Alder River, NS
CG31	L'Ascension, QC	46 47 20	74 50 54	Lac St. Denis, QC	C-2C	Relocated from La Macaza. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG32	Nishkotea Lake, QC	47 00 40	77 07 00	Senneterre, QC	C-8B	Relocated from Lac des Loups. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG33	Mattawa, ON	46 22 32	78 45 00	Foymount, ON	C-3E	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG34	Gowganda, ON	47 33 50	80 27 50	Ramore, ON	C-10C	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG35	Whitefish Lake, ON	48 09 40	89 56 48	Finland AFS, MN, USA	P-69F	Relocated from Silver Falls. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG36	Squatteck, QC	47 55 25	68 33 00	Caswell AFS, ME, USA	P-80G	Relocated from Les Etroits. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG37	Beaver Tower, QC	48 02 17	75 52 37	Senneterre, QC	C-8D	Reclocated from St. Cleophas. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG38	Taschereau, QC	48 43 12	78 42 25	Senneterre, QC	C-8C	No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG39	Gold Rock, ON	49 25 36	92 51 45	Sioux Lookout, ON	C-16C	Relocated from Ft Francis. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG40	Whites Brook, NB	47 41 50	67 11 18	Caswell AFS, ME, USA	P-80E	Relocated from Mt Carleton. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG41	Lac Luzon, QC	48 48 40	73 29 33	Mont Apica, QC	C-1E	-
CG42	Saint Adalbert, QC	46 50 10	69 54 22	Caswell AFS, ME, USA	P-80F	Relocated from St. Cecile. No work as of 14 Sep 62
CG43	Graham, ON	49 14 13	90 43 30	Sioux Lookout, ON	C-16A	Relocated.No work as of 14 Sep 62. Constructed
CG44	Manitouwadge, ON	49 09 00	85 50 00	Pagwa, ON	C-14C	Relocated from Geraldton. 10% completed as of 14 Sep 62
CG45	Father Lake	49 17 25	75 31 20	Chobougamau, QC	C-42A	Relocated from Island Falls, ON.

Gap Filler Sites identified as "deleted" on 18 September 1961.

Brampton, ON
Grand Fond, QC
London, ON
Marten River, ON
Rapides des Joachims, QC
St Charles de Bellechasse, QC

Updated: March 9, 2005