Kamloops, BC

1998 - Kamloops Revisited - Ren L'Ecuyer


My last visit to the Kamloops area took place in September 1997. I had tried to see everything but this was not possible. As a result, a return trip to the old domestic site was in order and on Saturday, June 20 1998, I returned to tour the remains of the domestic site. I visited the dam that had been used to control the water supply for the base. This is located less than a mile up the road from the trailer park heading up the road towards the operations site. A small pumping station was still operational and is used today to supply water for local farmers. It was interesting to note that the cement and the metal sluices, used to move water from the dam, were still in use.

Having satisfied myself with another walk through the remaining buildings at the domestic site, I then drove to Riverside Park on River Street. It is at this location that the city of Kamloops established a memorial to the radar station. The last search antenna to be used at CFS Kamloops, an FPS-20, was moved to Riverside Park. This antenna is permanently attached to a cement base to ensure stability. The antenna is also protected from vandalism since it is situated behind a chain link fence which surrounds the entire memorial.

From Riverside park, I then drove north of Westsyde and eventually found Dairy Road. Ray Dunsdon was the last Commanding Officer at CFS Kamloops and he now lives in this. He was able to purchase the radome which had protected the FPS-20 search antenna after the base was closed down. This radome was dismantled after the radar station was closed. The radome was then moved from the remains of the operations site to Mr. Dunsdon's ginseng farm. It was slightly modified (take note of the door which allows easy access) and reassembled to be used as a storage area for ginseng crops.