{{Location map, Canada, label=RCAF Station Whitehorse , marksize=6, mark=Red_pog.svg , lat_dir=N, lat_deg=60, lat_min=42, lat_sec=34 , lon_dir=W, lon_deg=135, lon_min=04, lon_sec=32 , position=width=300, float=right , caption=Location of RCAF Station Whitehorse, Yukon RCAF Station Whitehorse was originally opened by the

Canadian Department of Transport Transport Canada () is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Com ...

as "Whitehorse airfield". It is located at what is now the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport in

Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's Downtown Whitehorse, downtown a ...

. The airport was transferred to the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

in 1942 as part of the system called the

Northwest Staging Route The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airport and radio ranging stations operating in Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska during World War II. It extended into the Soviet Union as the ALSIB (ALaska-SIBerian air road). Th ...

. Designated as RCAF Station Whitehorse, it had detachments at Teslin,

Aishihik Aishihik (Also known as Äshèyi) is a village of the Southern Tutchone people at the north end of Äshèyi Män (Aishihik Lake) in Yukon. It continues to be the home of the Äshèyi people. Champagne and Aishihik First Nations continue to use ...

, and

Snag, Yukon Snag is a former village in Yukon, Canada, located on a small, dry-weather sideroad off the Alaska Highway, east of Beaver Creek. The village of Snag was located in a bowl-shaped valley of the White River and its tributaries, including Snag ...

and in 1946, at

Watson Lake, Yukon Watson Lake is a town in Yukon, Canada, located at mile 635 on the Alaska Highway close to the British Columbia border. It had a population of 1,133 in 2021. The town is named for Frank Watson, an American-born trapper and prospector, who settled ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, RCAF Station Whitehorse continued to function primarily as a refueling point on the Alaska route. The Department of Transport took over the operation of the airport, but the RCAF remained. In 1948, the station at

Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...

closed and the intercept positions were moved to Whitehorse. The station's function changed to primarily a Radio Unit, namely, No. 5 Radio Unit. It became part of the Canadian Forces Supplementary Radio System in 1966 and was renamed Canadian Forces Station Whitehorse with the transfer to the Supplementary Radio System (SUPRAD). RCAF operations were limited to radio intercept. It was a short lived operation as CFS Whitehorse closed in 1968.

References

RCAF Whitehorse

External links

Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...