History of Mont Apica AS, QC, CN

Deep inside the 4,060 square mile Parc des Laurentides and 100 miles north of the provincial capital Quebec City, Mont Apica, one of the original Pinetree Line radar stations, was located on the banks of the Upica River close to its junction with the Chicoutami River. The operations area was 1,000 feet higher (3,000 feet above sea level) than the domestic site five road miles away. Prior to the presence of the RCAF, the only sign of life was the forest ranger's tower atop of the 3,000 foot Mont Apica. Preliminary plans for La Tour au Pika, as the radar station was initially known, were drawn up in early 1950. Construction began in 1951 and continued to varying degrees until 1957.

The radar station was organized on 13 March under Air Force Organization Order 1001. In June 1952, an advance organization party arrived. The station was activated the following month as #201 Radio Station Mont Apica. The name was apparently a bid to confuse subversive, saboteurs and local inhabitants of its real role. The unit's cloak and dagger name stuck for six months before it was revealed to the outside world as 12 AC&W Squadron, RCAF Station Mont Apica. The station became fully operational as an early warning site in September 1952. The following month it was re-designated as a GCI unit. The name was changed when they became a component of the Pinetree Line and they were then known as 12 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (callsign Scabbard) as of 1 October 1952. When first declared operational, the squadron had the CPS-6 "V" beam radar. In fact, 12 AC&W's radar was stamped with the serial number "1". This radar was replaced in 1960 by an FPS-508B dual channel search radar. The next year a pair of FPS-507A Height Finder radars were also installed in Mont Apica.

An Operational Training Unit (OTU) formed in Mont Apica on 5 September 1961 for the purpose of training controllers. On 18 November 1963, the OTU became a Fighter Controllers School. The school was designed to train officers as fighter controllers, familiarize telecommunications officers with BUIC operations and acquaint new Commanding Officers in Air Defence Command battle procedures. The first class, #6301, was comprised of five Commanding Officers on a BUIC Battle Commanders Familiarization course and graduated at the end of November 1963. A dozen Chief Ground Environment Officers graduated the next month. The first Fighter Controller's course commenced on 4 January 1964. The school officially closed in December 1968 and was relocated to CFB North Bay.

In the summer of 1962, Mont Apica began support operations for No. 3 All Weather Operational Training Unit based at RCAF Station Bagotville. The unit trained pilots destined for the CF-101 Voodoo in general fighter tactics on the CF-100 Canuck Mk. 3D and Mk. 5.Radio Station CKMA began broadcasting from on site in October 1962. The station was SAGE-capable on 1 October 1963 and reported to 41 Northern NORAD Region at North Bay as of that same date. Shortly thereafter, the GATR site became operational. In January 1964, the station took on a BUIC role and, when called upon, acted as a NORAD GCI (NGCI). 12 Radar Squadron, as Mont Apica was later known, became a Canadian Forces Station in February 1967.

On 16 May 1968, a forest fire came within 12 miles of the station causing much concern. The station celebrated its 25th Anniversary in June 1977 and the next month the station had to contend with another forest fire, this time coming within six miles.

CFS Mont Apica gained a new tactical control capability in 1982 and became operational as a Tactical Control Facility on 1 April 1983. The station controlled CF-18 Hornets from the two squadrons based at CFB Bagotville. The ROCC was operational by August 1984 and Mont Apica became part of the Canadian NORAD Region's Canada East ROCC.

In October 1986, Mont Apica was designated a French Language Unit (FLU) and in 1987, the station had another brush with forest fires this time coming within six miles of the radar site. On 1 April 1988, the MOB radar at Mont Apica reverted to training status and an announcement was made in April 1989 of the impending closure of the station. Between 13 - 15 April 1989, personnel past and present took part in a close-out ceremony. The PMQ's were empty by 15 June and the domestic site vacated by 1 August. Mont Apica was closed on 1 August 1990, but the unit was reformed as 12e Escadre Radar at CFB Bagotville in late 1993 or early 1994. They are now equipped with the TPS-70 mobile radar and like their counterpart at Cold Lake, 42 Radar Squadron, they are completely mobile and are deployable at any time.

--The NBC Group - Don Nicks, John Bradley, Chris Charland.

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