Hopedale, Labrador

1998 - Hopedale Revisited - Rick Plowman


The station was located about 5 to 6 km from the community of Hopedale. It was not unusual for local civilians to walk to the base and make use of the facilities such as a telephone.

It appears that Hopedale had two separate and distinct operations areas which were located on separate hills about a half a mile from each other. The standard Pinetree Line construction was used for the operations area that housed the search and height radar antennae with domes covering these pieces of equipment for protection against the elements. A total of four of the large billboard type Troposcatter antennae were located on the other nearby hill. These Tropospheric scatter antennas provided communication within the northeast area. There was a transmit antenna and a receive antenna in two directions - pointing to the adjacent site on either side.

I first arrived in Hopedale in 1983 and all of the photos which I have provided were taken at that time. I understand that the radomes and the radar equipment were removed when the base close in 1968. Even though the base closed operations in 1968, the buildings, towers and the Troposcatter antennae were not demolished until the summer of 1986. Most of the remains were either buried or shipped out during the summer of 1987. This meant that local residents were free to come and go, and help themselves to whatever remained over a period of approximately 16 years.

-- Rick Plowman, resident - Hopedale, Labrador since 1983.