November 08, 2012

RCAF Voodoo and Genie storage facilities

Photo Credit:
http://replicainscale.blogspot.ca/2011/11/voodoos-from-north-country-plugging.html
While digging around for information on the Special Ammunition Storage (SAS) facility at Val D'Or, then the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) hangers at Val D'Or, I discovered the rather obvious - there are at least six other sets of similar hangers and ammunition magazines which were all built at the same time across the country to house the CF-101 Voodoos. Some of the buildings pre-date the Voodoo, as far as I can tell, but I believe all the facilities were upgraded in the 1960s to accommodate the nuclear-weapon-capable CF-101 Voodoo.  I have not researched every airfield and documented every hanger and every ammunition dump; that wasn't the point.  I just wanted to see, of the ammunition storage facilities and hangers made for, or used by, the Voodoo and Genie - what was still left?  The last nuclear weapons on Canadian soil left in 1984, so I'm reasonably sure that the remaining SAS (S for Special... ie Nuclear...) isn't being used exactly for what it was intended, but they still make mighty fine ammo storage bunkers, or just random storage vaults.

CFB Bagotville is still in use today as a major CF-188 (F-18) base, it's QRA hangers are still there, and so is the SAS. Judging from what seems to be boxes of stuff inside the fence line at the SAS, I don't think it's being used for what it was originally built for.


CFB Bagotville QRA


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CFB Bagotville SAS


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CFB Chatham was decomissioned in 1996, and from the last Google satellite imagry, the SAS is being deconstructed by a local company which is "mining" the sand/dirt/gravel the ammo storage berm was buried in. Sort of a shame. The QRA hangers look to be getting put to good use.

CFB Chatham QRA


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CFB Chatham SAS (under deconstruction)


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CFB Comox is an active Canadian Forces military base, it's QRA hangers and SAS facility are still there, and as far as I can tell active.

CFB Comox QRA


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CFB Comox SAS


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CFS Val D'Or is long gone, one of it's QRA hangers remains, and I believe it's SAS has been fully dug up.

CFS Val D'Or QRA (one of two buildings still standing)


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CFS Val D'Or SAS (well it would have been there)


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CFB North Bay doesn't seem to have the same style of ammunition storage bunkers as the others, I believe this may be because it pre-dates the design used at Val D'Or, Chatham and Bagotville. North Bay has it's QRA hangers as best as I can tell from the satellite pictures.

CFB North Bay QRA


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CFB North Bay SAS (Technically maybe not a SAS)


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CFB Uplands is close enough to me that it warrants a visit. While the base itself was decomissioned, the Canadian Forces still own property and buildings at the civilian airport. The QRA hangers are still there, and so is the ammunition bunker - but like North Bay, it is not the same design as the other SAS facilities, so I assume it was built at another time, or has undergone a face-lift since that time.

CFB Uplands QRA


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CFB Uplands SAS (Technically maybe not a SAS)


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3 comments:

  1. The Bagotville storage area (SAS) is used for storage of various CF-18 weapons and sensor pods; still very much active, but not with Nukes, of course. The boxes in the satellite photo are transport boxes for the new FLIR pods, as well as trailers to carry bombs and missiles for the Hornets.

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  2. Forgot to mention: the Bagotville QRA is still very much active. It is used frequently for the CF-18 nowadays. I have spent many, many days on alert in that facility with the Hornet (I flew with 425 and 433 for almost 10 years in the late 80s through the mid 90s). The bedrooms (20 years ago almost) were pretty spartan and old; I don't know if they've been renovated. The kitchen was decommissioned in the 90s because it was inadequate and mostly old; we used to get meals delivered from the main mess hall. The Bagotville Q was originally used for the CF-100, then the Voodoo, and now the Hornet. There was a plaque unveiled a year or so ago, for 50 years of service as an active alert facility. I believe the building has been declared a heritage site.
    In the top picture, near the A on Highway 170, you can see the new blast wall that was built a few years ago. It is intended to prevent damage or injury to civilians in the event a missile blows up inside the QRA; look how close the Q is to the highway.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for the clarification!

      When I eventually get to CFB Bagotville I'll look for that plaque!

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