The Distant Early Warning Line

After the Second World War, the Americans considered the military threat of Russian Bombers flying through the Arctic Circle and into the heartland of the United States great enough to establish a radar system to monitor such activity. This threat was supported by the establishment of Russian airbases in the Arctic. The American defence plan included the establishment of a line of radar stations in Alaska called the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line. Construction started in 1954 on a series of radar stations that stretched across Canadian territory north of the Arctic Circle.

The DEW Line was a chain of 63 radar sites that stretched to Baffin Island.

There were three lines in the DEW Line system with one above the Arctic Circle, the second called the Mid Canada Line that stretched out across the 55th parallel, and the Pine Tree Line. All three of these lines were linked and provided a complete picture of air traffic across Canada and into the north.

The Mid Canada Line was first planned in 1951 and came into operation in 1958. It stretched from the Alaska border to the Atlantic with eight central stations and 90 unmanned stations. Upgrades in technology reduced the number of stations needed over the years. By 1964, the western half of the line was shut down while the eastern stations stopped operating in 1965.

Two major and ten minor airfields were built to facilitate the building and maintenance of the Mid Canada Line, along with a large number of helicopter pads. Transportation into the remote sites of the DEW Line was possible by air, tractor train, and, in some cases, by sea. Helicopters became the preferred form of transportation in the Mid Canada Line. The demands for helicopter transportation were so great that civilian companies could not fulfill the needs. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was expanded to complete this work.

There was a rapid development of helicopter pilot training and development of facilities. By September 1955, there were four new detachments of the RCAF helicopter unit. Grande Prairie became host to one of these detachments.

The activities through the 1950s and the 1960s to build and maintain the DEW Line added to the economic strength of the Peace River country as it was one of the transportation points for supplies and building materials. The activities around the building of the DEW Line left improved air traffic facilities and added to the Peace country’s status as a reliable launching site for northern development.

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