Ontario Abandoned Places will be rebranded as Ominous Abandoned Places

Foymont Abandoned RCAF Station

Abandoned Military in Bonnechere Valley, Ontario, Canada

Jul 10 2010

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Recent status Abandoned
Location # 1745

RCAF Station Foymount was built in 1950. Located on the historic Opeongo Road, atop the Opeongo Mountains in Renfrew County, the operations building towered 1800 feet above sea level. In addition to the radomes, receiving and transmitting equipment, and the usual combined mess, quarters and maintenance buildings, the station included 65 houses, a school, medical and dental facilities, a recreation room with a gym, swimming pool, general store, post office and a host of other amenities. Water was supplied from a 100,000 gal. reservoir, which drew its source from a nearby lake. Sewage was treated in a plant located right on the premises. In effect, the station was a fully self-contained and self supporting community with all the facilities one would expect to find in any similarly sized civilian village. Initial personnel estimates were 38 officers and 343 mixed ranks and civilians.

RCAF Station Foymount became fully operational in September 1952. In May 1953 the 32 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron moved in to assume the Ground Control Intercept role. By 1963 computer technology had advanced to the point where interceptors were automated and controlled directly from Ottawa. Station Foymount was upgraded to intruder-detection only and the unit was renamed the 32 Radar Squadron.

The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1967 resulted in more reshuffling and re-designation of ranks, roles and titles. By 1968, the station was operating as a long range radar facility and field training school and no longer assumed any Norad functions. In 1970 a total of 208 military and civilian personnel were assigned to the station.

Military downsizing in the early 1970s led to the eventual closure of CFS Foymount. After it was determined the radars at CFS Falconbridge and CFS Lac St. Denis were powerful enough to cover Foymount(a)s existing territory, it was decided to close the Foymount station in October 1974. The radar towers and operations centre were dismantled and the remaining buildings sold. The buyer later defaulted on his property taxes and many of the buildings were repossessed by the township for outstanding tax arrears.

Today, Foymount is slowly coming back to life. Although many of the buildings remain abandoned, several are now leased to such tenants as Sebastopol Township and the Black Water Factory, a manufacturer of high quality outerwear. A tea room has recently opened.

The houses were put up for sale, some for as little as the cost of the unpaid taxes, and many are now owned by retired military personnel who were formerly stationed in Foymount.

Foymount still contains a number of ruins.Many of occupied homes have been renovated and repaired and their owners appear eager to recapture the strong social and community ties they enjoyed during Foymount(a)s military hey day.

Comments

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3 years ago

I have pictures of this place I''ve been meaning to add but just a heads up - I went there earlier this summer and went around the side of the place, there is dogs in all of the buildings that will start barking when you go near. Took a total of 5 mins for me to get caught, I told the old couple I was taking pictures but she was rather hostile yelling at me she was calling the police. I was polite but got outta there real quick. It looks like it''s mostly been turned into a dump with whoever own

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6 years ago

Adjusted the GPS as it was 1.5km off.

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9 years ago

Isn't this where Canada's Worst Driver is filmed??

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11 years ago

I'm going back in the spring time. I will explore the inside of those buildings.

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11 years ago

Local fire department wanted to use them as fire practice but the environment got involved because of the asbestos.

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11 years ago

They also purchased the school and hospital, one of the member lives in the hospital and keeps an eye on the buildings. This time, I was alone but I plan on going back in the fall with a few more people and I will get in the Algonquin building (green one) that has been partially renovated and lived in. It's also open and has easy access to it.

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11 years ago

Outstanding view. Nice place. Spoke to a resident, he had alot of interesting information to share. So the buildings (Barracks) are owned by a religious group from Toronto. They paid $5000 for the 5 buildings and the land. Nothing can be done to save them without putting out a significant amount of money to restore them.

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11 years ago

Very nice!!! Thanks. I might go this weekend.

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11 years ago

Has anyone actually got in the buildings? I'm from the Ottawa Valley and this is my next exploration destination.