MICKELSON, FRASER & HAYWOOD
ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS
PO Box 186 Fort William, Ontario
September 15, 1959
Chief of the Air Staff
Air Force Headquarters
Ottawa, Ontario
Attention: CCE - Victoria Island
Dear Sirs:
Re: Gap Filler Radar Stations,
Northwestern Ontario
Communications
Ref 10-36-80/5 (JDPG)
In connection with the work now being carried out under our engineering contract, Mr R Campling of this office, today interviewed Mr J Cowley, District Manager, Northwestern Ontario District, for the Bell Telephone Company, regarding communication facilities for certain of the Northwestern Ontario group of stations.
Details of facilities available for individual stations will be included in reconnaissance and field survey reports, but we consider it advisable to draw your attention to the situation regarding communications generally as it appears to us.
The following table details relationship of the various Gap Filler Stations, Home Stations, and the telephone companies in whose areas they are situated.
| Gap Filler | Telephone Co | Home Station | Telephone Co |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Frances | Bell of Canada | Baudette, Minn | Bell of Canada (to Rainy River) NW Bell Tel Co (in US) |
| Redditt | Norwesto Commun | Sioux Lookout | Bell of Canada |
| Atikokan | Northern | Sioux Lookout | Bell of Canada |
| * Graham | Bell of Canada | Sioux Lookout | Bell of Canada |
| Silver Falls | Bell of Canada | Sioux Lookout | Bell of Canada |
| Nipigon | Bell of Canada | Sioux Lookout | Bell of Canada |
| Geraldton | Bell of Canada | Pagwa | Ont Northland Comm |
| Marathon | Bell of Canada | Pagwa | Ont Northland Comm |
* Unallocated territory but Bell of Canada have lines within 8 miles of Highway 17.
It will be seem from the foregoing that in every case the Bell Telephone Company is concerned either with the provision of circuits to a central office or from central office to the Home Station. Only in the case of three sites, however, does the Bell Telephone Company have jurisdiction over both the Gap Filer Station area and of that of the Home Station.
To cover the needs of the area it would seem possibly joint consultation at a higher level should be undertaken.
Mr Cowley estimated the cost of running a pole line with two circuits into the selected sites would vary between $3,000 and $4,000 per mile depending on local conditions, but pointed out that the cost applied where no other support was available and was for bare wire lines only. If cable were required, the cost would certainly be much greater.
Yours very truly,
MICKELSON, FRASER & HAYWOOD
per RA Campling.