Armstrong Station

CFS Armstrong was one of the many radar stations along the Pinetree Line (located near the 50th parallel), which operated under NORAD control. CFS Armstrong stood at a location 18 miles west of Windigo Bay close to the north shore of Lake Nipigon.

The station, which opened in 1952, was home to the 914th Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) Squadron of the United States Air Force. Ten years later the station was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force where the name was changed to RCAF Station Armstrong. The station maintained that name until 1967 when it joined forces with the Canadian Armed Forces and became known as Canadian Forces Station Armstrong (CFS Armstrong).

Stations such as the one at Armstrong were strategically placed across North America to monitor any air threats from the Soviet Union. The station contained two search radars and one height-finder radar. These radars were housed in radomes (radar domes) and resembled large white globes.

A small radio station began broadcasting from the station on June 8, 1964 under the call-sign of CFAO (1450 AM).

As radar technology advanced to the point where long-range radar was available, the site became redundant and was closed on October 1, 1974. At that time the DND sought to find an interested buyer, as they were concerned about the decline in property value due to vandalism, etc. The property was sold to a private owner from Kitchener for $105,467.

CFS Armstrong can be found in Armstrong Station. It lies approximately 242 kilometres north up the winding Highway 527. It will be a right hand turn (North) as you are heading West across the Trans Canada Highway 11-17.

The station is now called D&L Estates, a village which includes a hotel, laundromat, residences and a restaurant. The Estates are described as "Your Host of the North" on a small search radar antenna by the station's entrance. (Source: Paul Ozorack)

* In the middle of the 1900's other ghost towns listed on this site also had a Department of Lands and Forests' fire tower lookout located on a nearby hill. These include: Pakesley, Key Junction, Key Harbour, Dufferin Bridge, Bummer's Roost, Pickerel Landing, Lost Channel, Byng Inlet, Moon River, Cheddar, Germania, Ormsby, Uphill, Biscostasing, Renabie Mine, Milnet, Armstrong, Metagama, Cheminis, Wavell and Pineal Lake . For more info. on Ontario's Fire Tower Lookouts go to this link: Ontario's Fire Tower Lookouts.