Mid Canada Line (MCL) – Sector Control Station (SCS) 600
Bird, Manitoba
The following extract is taken from the book “A History of the Air Defence of Canada 1948 – 1997” by the NBC Group.
RCAF Station Bird (Sector Control Station 600) was a place whose operation was really on the line; the main line of the Hudson Bay Railway that is. It was also situated on the banks of the Limestone River, surrounded by muskeg, 400 air miles from its support base of RCAF Station Winnipeg. The Station formed in December 1956 and opened the following May. They were limited to detection until the identification mode came on line. Bird was declared operational by the beginning of 1958. Bird was closed in January 1964. A rear party stayed until mid February to supervise the dismantling of the station by Dominion Bridge and the Commanding Officer departed at the end of the month.
The station had a rather unique address: RCAF Station Bird Mile 349 Hudson Bay Railway Bird, Manitoba.
Point of Interest:: The RCAF Station Bird Call sign was “Anthrax”
Link to photos of the Eastern Manitoba sites.
Bird was also an Ionospheric Scatter Repeater site for communications with the DEW Line. It was the southern terminus of the link to Hall Beach (FOX-Main). In this capacity, Bird was the only MCL Site that had communications technicians assigned.
Photos below courtesy of Ron Guy.
King the station mascot.
Ionospheric Scatter Antenna Array.
Recreation Centre.
Water Treatment Plant.
Power Plant.
Combined Mess.
Operations Bldg with 300 ft Communications Antenna. 150 ft Hanger Beacon Antenna is in the background.
Headquarters Building
Another shot of the Ionospheric Scatter Antenna Array.
Mobile Support Equipment Garage.
Bird Manitoba Train Station.
Plowing the runway.
S55 Sikorsky helicopter For transporting Maintenance crews to remote Doppler sites.
Ron Guy and friends TR Scott and Fred Young in the Ops Room .
The Tank Farm.
Barracks with Operations in the background.
Station RCAF Personnel Sept 1961. Courtesy Carl Reade.
