RCAF Station Tofino (ADC ID: C-36) was a

Second World War 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 ...

and

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

-era

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 ...

Radar station Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), direction (azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track aircraft ...

located in British Columbia. It was located southeast of

Tofino Tofino ( , Nuu-chah-nulth language, Nuu-chah-nulth: ''Načiks'') is a town of approximately 2,516 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. The District ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

History

The site was developed during the early days of World War II and was opened in 1943 as a RCAF "Radio Detachment". The radar at the base was used to protect the Pacific coast from enemy attack. Due to the site's remote location it was equipped with its own airfield. The base was protected by a RCAF Squadron. The site was decommissioned in 1945. In 1955 the station was reopened again as a radar station in the

Pinetree Line The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by North American Aerospace Defense Comm ...

. The site was under the control of

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and pr ...

. The radar station was closed on 10 January 1958 and is now operated as the

Tofino Airport Tofino-Long Beach Airport is a non-towered airport that is located within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Immediately adjacent to Long Beach, it is southeast of Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. It is both a general aviation and comm ...

Aerodrome information

In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed as RCAF Aerodrome - Tofino, British Columbia at with a variation of 24.5 degrees east and elevation of . The aerodrome was listed as "Under construction - Serviceable" with three runways as follows:

Squadrons

* No. 4 Squadron RCAF - anti-submarine unit under Western Air Command 1941-1945 *

No. 132 Squadron RCAF The numero sign or numero symbol, (also represented as Nº, No̱, No., or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, the ...

- fighter unit under Western Air Command 1943–1944; disbanded at Sea Island in 1944 *

No. 133 Squadron RCAF The numero sign or numero symbol, (also represented as Nº, No̱, No., or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, the ...

- fighter unit under Western Air Command spent time in Tofino * No. 52 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron - Pinetree Line 1955-1958

References

Bruce Forsyth's Canadian Military History Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tofino Defunct airports in British Columbia Royal Canadian Air Force stations Military airbases in British Columbia Military history of British Columbia