Gap Filler Detail

1961 – National Archives of Canada


SECRET

S10-136-80/5 (DCEP)

Victoria Island,
Ottawa, Ontario

9 February 1961

Defence Construction (1951) Limited
56 Lyon Street
Ottawa, Ontario

Attention: Mr A G Bland

Re: Proposed Tender Calls, Spring 1961
Gap Filler Radar Stations, General

Dear Sirs:

In order for Defence Construction Limited to be aware of the general impact of the Gap Filler Radar Stations Programme, we wish to take this opportunity of advising you of the following details.

  1. Plans and specifications for approximately 21 sites will be forwarded to DCL during March and April, 1961, for a spring tender call and construction commencing early in the summer.

  2. Due to the difficulty of winter access to the majority of the Gap Filler sites, the construction period has been set down as June to December, with the contractor using a mobile camp and local facilities when available.

  3. The "southern" sites will normally consist of the Radar Building (28' x 48' Steelox) , the Power and Accommodation Building (28' x 36' Steelox), a three-legged 70 ft tower (to be supplied by USAF and erected by Telecom Contractor), commercial power, one standby diesel generator, 1,500 gallon fuel oil storage, fencing and local snowploughing.

  4. The "northern" sites will normally consist of the Radar Building (28' x 48' Steelox), the Power and Accommodation Building (28' x 36' Steelox), a four-legged 100 ft joint radar and forestry tower (to be suppled by USAF and erected by Telecom Contractor), two diesel generators, 50,000 gallon fuel oil storage, fencing and NO snowploughing. In order to gain access to these sites in the winter, a tracked vehicle will be used and this vehicle will be stored in a Steelox garage at the junction of the access road and the highway.

  5. There will be some sites which are a combination of the descriptions given in (c) and (d). On all sites the accommodation provided will be of the emergency over-night type, consisting of two double bunk beds, table, chairs, combined kitchenette unit comprising sink, stove, refrigerator, cupboards, chemical toilet, hot water, pressure tank, rainwater storage tank. Fresh drinking water will be hand carried to the sites by maintenance personnel from a well or other source along the access road. A Steelox wellhouse will be used to protect the water supply when necessary.

  6. Some of the Steelox components will be supplied by RCAF depots and other parts obtained from Armco. The diesel generators will be prepurchased in order to maintain standardization.

  7. It is necessary for this first group of sites to be substantially finished by December 1961 in order to permit the installation of the electronic equipment early in the summer of 1962. Prebuilding construction work will depend on site conditions and vary from nil on farmer's fields to clearing and grubbing of the site and minor and major improvements to existing logging roads and construction of new roads. On the attached appendix, the amount of access road construction work is described for each site. All sites may be located on provincial road maps except for the following:

    1. St Joseph, NS - between Concession and Corberrie.

    2. Scotch Settlement, NB - near Belleisle Cr

    3. Todd Mtn, NB - near Boiestown

  8. A copy of the General Location Plan (1" = 100 miles) showing the location of all Gap Filler Radar Stations was given to Mr Bland during his visit to CCE, Victoria Island, on 7 February 1961.

Yours truly,

(JW Griffith)
Group Captain
for Chief of the Air Staff


SECRET

APPENDIX to

S10-136-80/5 (DCEP)

9 February 1961

StationDescription of Access Road
Nobel, OntAccess road 600 ft directly from highway
Nicolet, QueAccess Road 300 directly from township road
Tobermory, OntAccess Road 3,000 ft existing road and 300 ft new road
St Joseph, NSAccess Road 600 ft directly from township road
Formosa Rel, OntAccess Road 0.3 miles new road
Scotch Settlement Rel NBAccess Road 7,000 ft existing road and 1,000 ft new road
Lac Ste Marie, QueAccess Road 6.2 miles existing road and 2.6 miles new road. Clearing. Rock.
Algonquin Park, OntAccess Road 2,400 ft directly from highway. Clearing.
Elliot Lake, OntAccess Road 1.3 miles major improvement
Oba, OntAccess Road 1.5 miles new road from CNR.
Chapleau, OntAccess Road 6 miles existing road and 500 ft new road from CP Railway
La TuqueAccess Road 19.2 miles existing road and 0.8 miles new road. (Ferry over St Maurice River).
Todd Mtn, NBAccess Road 8.5 miles major improvement.
Timmins, OntAccess Road 2,000 ft minor improvement and 5,000 ft new road. Clearing. Rock.
Belleterre, QueAccess Road 1.8 miles existing road and 1.3 miles new road.
Nipigon, OntAccess Road 7.5 miles minor improvement and 1.5 miles new road. Clearing. Rock.
Atikokan, OntAccess Road Access Road 1.3 miles existing road and 0.8 miles major improvement on existing trail. Clearing. Rock.
Westport, OntAccess Road 1.0 miles major improvement and 0.5 miles new road.
Biscotasing, OntAccess Road 4 miles new road from CP Railway. Clearing.
Marathon, OntAccess Road 2.85 miles new road. Clearing. Rock.
Batchawana, OntAccess Road 16.46 miles existing logging road and 4.2 miles new and major improvement on existing trails. Clearing. Rock.