CFS Alsask Dome
This post has been retired for an updated version, which can be found here: RCAF/CFS Alsask Radar Dome.
Still, we’ll keep some of the photos not transferred to the new piece up for your enjoyment and comments will be retained as well.
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Date of Adventure: September, 2015
Location(s): Alsask, Saskatchewan.
The CFS Alsask radar dome, the last of its kind.
The BIGDoer-mobile and the Civil Defence group’s air raid siren equipped truck.
Poor weather this day.
The translucent panels cast a golden glow.
The support bearing – drive shaft at centre of round flange.
The driveway below.
A precision equipment shipping container. And the radar arm drive motor?
The main structure is made entirely of metal.
I have always wondered what this looked like on the inside
It’s since been cleaned up of pigeon poop (yuck!) and so looks much better inside. That was hard work I bet – kudos to the group working to preserve the historic structure. We’ll be posting a new article about the place soon. Thanks for commenting!
Many thanks for all these articles on Alsask and area. Having family leaving there,made many trips visiting, have lots of memories of the area. Also loved the story about Buffalo! I read a many of your articles as possible! Keep up the good work, great to be able to read about places that we may not get to travel to when we’d like.
Merna, appreciate the kind words. Sometimes we wonder if anyone is listening. And then a comment like this comes along and we realize we’re reaching people. Thanks, times a million!
I worked as a Radar Technician in Alsask from Feb 1963 to May 1964 (I was 21). I worked in the FPS-26 height finder radar tower: it had an inflated dome. Thanks for your work: I recognized some of the photos and they brought back fantastic memories! Keep up the good work and I wish you all the best!
Thanks for the love. We so enjoy presenting these articles to you. What a cool thing you did!
I have just finished reading your two articles: CFS Alsask Dome, and Canadian Forces Station Alsask. Very nicely done and thank you for keeping some of this history alive, although regrettably, post-mortem. CFS Alsask was my first posting in 1980, after joining the Canadian Forces and becoming a Radar Technician. I loved the place, so these pictures were a nice reminiscence, but more than a little sad.
This one remaining tower used to house the long-range Search Radar (AN/FPS-107), with the bottom floor being mostly open except for the entrance to the roughly L or U-shaped building that used to be there. When you entered, to the left were administration offices and meeting rooms in the wing that ran westward toward the back of the property, and to the right the high-security area in the southward wing housed the DMCC (Data Maintenance Control Centre) and the CD (Common Digitizer) Section. The stairs to reach the tower floors above were also accessible from this building.
The second floor contained the large power supplies and refrigeration equipment needed to keep this high-powered Radar (13.5 Megawatts of microwave energy) powered up and cooled. The Search Section coffee room was also on this level. I mention the coffee room only because it was an important location for the techs working there. After the preventive maintenance checks were completed each morning, a very serious attitude of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” kept us from fiddling with the equipment, and so we needed somewhere to be.
The third floor contained the two channels of transmitter and receiver equipment, as well a workshop and the Search Section office. Essentially, one half of the floor was dedicated to the transmitters and one half dedicated to the receivers. A main feature of each floor was the hatch which opened to allow a large electric winch to lift equipment from the open bottom floor. I see that they have wisely left up the guard rails around the hatch area.
The top floor, as you know, housed the large Search antenna. We never went up there while the Radar was on, because you seriously did not want to be hit with that beast while it was rotating (and did I mention the 13.5 Megawatts of microwave energy?). The radome was never translucent while I was there because it was kept painted (every year by contractors, I believe). It was very odd to see it allowing light in.
As you indicated, the site used to also contain two other domes, with towers and equipment. These were Height-Finder Radars. The Radar in the East tower (at the back of the property) was decommissioned and removed, along with it’s radome, well before I was posted there, and low tower was then used to house the Refrigeration Maintenance Section. The two-story tower to the west was situated just inside the gate at the front of the property, and housed another Height-Finder Radar. This gear would have been operational in conjunction with the Search Radar, right up until the date of decommissioning.
After the site was closed, I believe that Environment Canada used the Search tower to house meteorological equipment for a while, which might explain why this one tower was spared long enough to be declared a Heritage Site.
I apologize for the long post, but it was hard to keep from pouring out memories. As I said, this was my first posting in a 20-year career in the Canadian Forces, and it helped shape the person I am today. It holds a fond place in my heart.
Thank you for your efforts and keep up the good work.
Wow, thanks for adding to the story. Love the technical stuff. We’ve heard so many people connected to the place, all who speak fondly of it. We’re so glad our work gives others this pleasure. We had a great time documenting the whole base, dome included, and speaking with those who remember it. What a great reminder of another era. I bet many people wonder what the heck that big golf-ball looking thing is beside the highway. We of course, all know. Thanks for sharing this.
Chris you have done a nice report. I was stationed in RCAF Alsask during one year in 1964. I was a clerc medical at the MIR. This is where I have known my wife. She was comming from CFB Calgary to substitute the nurse who was going on leave.Since that time I went once in Alsask in 1967. My girl went there in 1995.
I have tought quite often about Alsask. I have liked Alsask. Also, I was lonesome off the beers that we use to drink at the hotel….with the boys and the Alsask’s citizens. Also we were playing golf on the golf course with the gofers…
This summer, we celebrated our 50 years of weddind. Lots of nice memories. Pardon me for my bad english writing and many thanks again.
P.S. Chris do you know where I would be able to find the names of the personnel of the station in 1964?
So nice to hear from you. And what great memories. The hotel you drank at, is sadly, coming down soon I’m told. I’ll check around to see if any of my contacts might have that list your looking for. I myself don’t know of any. I’ll get back to you by email.
Many thanks for answering me. I hope you will be able to find informations asked. I will give you others news about my staying in RCAF Alsask later. It was fifty two or three years ago. I will have to search my memories and notes. Thanks again.
No problem, we’ll do what we can to help. This is what we do.
(via Facebook)
I am jealous of all the cool places you get to explore and photograph. My dream job.
It’s fun, but believe me, it’s a ton of work!
I lived here for 3 years in the 70’s. My dad was a construction engineer for the DEW line as well as the Pine Tree Line. It was an incredible childhood. I think the Armed Forces are awfully different now.
Wow, what an experience that must have been! I hope it’s okay that I email you. I have a question or two that I hope you can answer. No doubt, the forces today are a much different place.
My Grandpa worked here in the early sixties.
Hearing from so many people associated with the place. Wow!
An amazing trip!
Soooooo much fun!
I was stationed there in 78 and 79.
Very cool!
A landmark!
Everyone notices it from the highway I bet.
Lots of those up north still. DEW line. An early warning system in case Russia came over the arctic. Never been in one though!
There used to be so many of these installations. Amazing really.
The way Russia and Putin are going we might need those Radars used again.
Incoming!
My dad, Master Warrant Officer John Rainbow, was the refrigeration technician for the radar dome from 1974 to 1977. I loved living in Alsask!
Now that’s cool!
I’ve driven past alsask a few time this year and noticed the compound from the highway… I love old sites and it would be great if they could open some of it to the public.
It’s hoped someone will step up and save the place and open it as a museum. Here’s hoping.
(via Facebook)
That is unbelievably cool!
One of the coolest places we’ve seen in a long time. Loved it!
Hello.
Very interesting pictures! I grew up on a farm about 10 miles away and could see the radar dome in the distance waiting for the school bus. I always wondered what it looked like on the inside. Thanks.
Chad
Awesome! We’ve heard from a good number of people from the area and they all say the same thing!