History of Senneterre AS, QC, CN

This northern Quebec radar station was located on the CNR line about 40 miles north of Val D'Or. Construction of Senneterre (site C-8, callsign Puritan) began on 15 August 1950 on top of Mount Bell which had been selected for the radar site.

The RCAF Station and its radar unit, 34 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron became operational on a limited basis on 1 June 1953. Senneterre was originally a long range radar and manually operated GCI site. The first radars at Senneterre were the AN/FPS-3 Search and the ISG-98 Height Finder.

In 1960, construction began on the GATR site in preparation for the SAGE system. Work was completed in 1962 and after a series of tests, 34 AC&W Squadron was SAGE-capable in 1963. The radar unit was re-designated as 34 Radar Squadron at this time. The callsign for Senneterre was "Mother Goose". The unit became a BUIC site on 1 December 1968, and was also made the Alternate Command Post (ALCOP) for the 22nd NORAD Region.

On 10 August 1967, as a result of unification of Canada's three distinct branches of the armed forces, 34 Radar Squadron became CFS Senneterre. CFS Senneterre and its predecessor, RCAF Station Senneterre, were administratively and logistically responsible for the detachment at Val D'Or, Quebec, until it became an autonomous unit. They had also provided control of the re-deployment airfield at Val D'Or. Senneterre maintained Val D'Or as a detachment until 1 December 1964. On that date, RCAF Station Val D'Or became a self-accounting station. Val D'Or was also a designated flying unit but had no generic aircraft of its own. All aircraft were deployed from other locations such as RCAF Stations North Bay and Bagotville.

On 1 December 1968, CFS Senneterre became the first BUIC III site operational in North America. The newly installed AN-GYK-19 computer was capable of allowing Senneterre to assume control of half of the 22 NORAD Region headquartered in North Bay, in the event of a nuclear strike incapacitating it. Senneterre was also selected as an Alternate Command Post (ALCOP) to be used in the event that Region HQ ceased to function. During the controlling of air engagements, Senneterre's tactical callsign was "Mother Goose". In 1973, both the BUIC and ALCOP were withdrawn and Senneterre reverted to the Long Range Radar role.

In late 1983, with the introduction of the ROCCs within the Canadian NORAD Region, Senneterre became part of Canada East. The ROCC was declared fully operational by August 1984. The station carried on until its closure on 1 August 1988.

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

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