Community members are briefed during a tour fo the Sergeant David L. Pitcher at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay Saturday.
The public had a unique opportunity to see the inner workings of air defence operations at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay Saturday, as restrictions were lifted at the Sergeant David L. Pitcher in celebration of the bases diamond anniversary.
This was the first time the above-ground NORAD complex, home of Canadian Air Defence, was open to the public and just under 500 residents turned out to take in a half hour tour. Dozens of family members of current and past air force members took in the tour as it was the first opportunity they’ve had to see where their loved ones work and what they do day in and out.
“People are bringing their children because they are so proud of working in that facility,” 22 Wing Public Affairs Officer Leah Pierce explains to reporters.
“That’s a little added bonus for us today too that work here.”
Sergeant David Kirk says there is a great deal of preparation needed to offer the tours and expects in the future the tours will be offered again.
“We are still keeping up the mission today and we just have to change the way we do it while the public is in the room,” he explains.
“There is quite a bit of planning, there’s the briefings that happen to the public while they are in the operations room, the tour guides, the security screening for everybody to come inside the secure area.”
He also says he hopes that the public takes away a deeper understanding of the work that is being done on base.
“It’s nice to have them there, I mean, to see what we do and especially the people from North Bay who we live with in the community and it’s good for them to see what we actually do here.”
City resident George Cole, who lived through the cold war and had the opportunity to work with a telecommunications company in the underground complex putting in the fibre optic cables, says it is amazing to see the advancement in technology.
“It’s quite a change it’s really, really a different set up,” says Cole.
“The difference is certainly the quality of surveillance you’ve got now and what you can see and what they can do including into outer space, which I never realized.”
“It’s really something.”
Honorary Colonel of 21 Aerospace Control & Warning Squadron Scott Clark says 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay has not only been an important entity to Canada’s sovereignty, but also an integral part of the development of the city.
“It was 60 years ago that the greatest, we could say the greatest infrastructure took place in our community North Bay and surrounding area and the legacy of that, that has taken place we see today in some of the largest mining companies that actually live and breathe in our community.”
“Actually the reason they are here is when we started digging the NORAD complex and going underground we needed the best people, the best engineers to help this wing grow and we see the legacy of that today,” explains Clark.
“So 60 years ago when we started a small base a training centre has now become an integral part of our sovereignty and our safety in North America.”
Having three postings in the Bay Former Wing Commander General Martin Galvin, says CFB North Bay has been the theme throughout his career and he looks forward to retiring here.
“I’ve enjoyed every tour here and I think this has just been the perfect place for me in my career.”
He says his fondest memories of city are the people on base and in the community and the 60th anniversary celebrations has allowed him to come back reminisce and touch base with old friends.
“It’s great to come back and see some of the folks that you worked with you know like I said there was three tours for me and so I’ve seen folks that you know that I worked with as a youngster 30 years ago, and some of the old timers back then are still around here in this region and this area. So to see them here at the base brings back a lot of memories about the way we did things in the underground complex and just the great folks you worked with over a long career.”
It also assures him that the future of the mission is in steady hands.
“The youngsters that are doing the mission today are just as dedicated as we were, just as proud of what they do and I don’t know I think it’s just more of the same but with better equipment and better sensors and better electronics.”
Warrant Officer Tim Passley who works in the space surveillance department says it’s exciting to see where the future of the air force is heading.
