Canadian Forces Station Alert, also CFS Alert, is a Canadian Forces signals intelligence intercept facility located in Alert, Nunavut on the northeastern tip of Ellesmere Island at 82°30′N 62°19′W. The Canadian Forces (French: Forces canadiennes), abbreviated as CF (French: FC) are the combined armed forces of Canada. ... It has been suggested that CFS Alert be merged into this article or section. ... Motto: Nunavut Sannginivut (Inuktitut: Nunavut our strength or Our land our strength) Official languages Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English, French Flower Purple Saxifrage Tree Bird Rock Ptarmigan Capital Iqaluit Largest city Iqaluit Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Premier Paul Okalik (Independent) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 1 (Nancy Karetak-Lindell) 1 (Willie... Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. ...

It is the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement in the world and takes its name from HMS Alert which wintered 10 km east of the present station off Cape Sheridan, Nunavut in 1875-1876. 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Weather Station

Alert (then located in the Northwest Territories) was first inhabited by employees of the Canadian Department of Transport and the United States Weather Bureau in 1950 when the "Joint Arctic Weather Station" (JAWS) was established. An airfield and small building were built to service various weather monitoring equipment. Motto: none Official languages Chipewyan, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey, Tåîchô [1] Flower Mountain avens Tree Tamarack Bird Gyr Falcon Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government (no party affiliations)) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats... The Department of Transport, also referred to as Transport Canada, is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. ... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

This weather station remains in operation to this day, however operations were subsequently handed over to employees of the Canadian Department of the Environment via the Meteorological Service of Canada. The Department of the Environment, also referred to as Environment Canada, is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for coordinating environmental policies and programs as well as preserving and enhancing the natural environment and conservation of wildlife. ... The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is a Canadian government agency which provides meteorological information. ...

Alert Wireless Station

The Canadian military was interested in the establishment of JAWS at Alert for several reasons. The JAWS facility extended Canadian sovereignty over a large uninhabited area which Canada claimed as its territory.

During the Cold War, Alert was strategically important because of its proximity to the Soviet Union; Alert was the closest point in North America to the northwestern area of the Soviet Union. In fact, Alert is closer to Moscow than it is to Ottawa. Therefore the possibilities of using the site for intercepting radio signals warranted a military presence. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow (Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronounciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 878. ... This article is about the capital city of Canada. ...

In 1956, the Royal Canadian Air Force which was expanding its presence throughout the high Arctic with the construction of the Distant Early Warning Line radar network, established a building uphill from the DOT's JAWS station to house "High Arctic Long Range Communications Research" or signals intelligence operations. Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces. ... A rough map of the three warning lines The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in...

In 1957, the Alert Wireless Station was conceived as an intercept facility to be jointly staffed by personnel from the Royal Canadian Navy and the RCAF. Five additional buildings were constructed: a mess, 3 barracks/accommodations buildings, and a power house and vehicle maintenance building, in addition to the existing operations building built in 1956. The operations building housed the radio intercept and cryptographic equipment. Up to 24 men were posted to Alert at any one time. Alert was considered (and remains to this day) a hardship assignment, with no spouses being permitted. Until 1980 only men were permitted to deploy at Alert. Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

CFS Alert

The February 1, 1968 unification of the RCN, RCAF and Canadian Army to form the Canadian Armed Forces saw the Alert Wireless Station change its name to Canadian Forces Station Alert (CFS Alert). Its personnel were no longer drawn from the air force or navy, but rather from the Canadian Forces Communication Command. February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LF) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Canadian Forces (CF) (Fr: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the combined branches of the military of Canada. ...

At its peak, CFS Alert had upwards of 215 personnel posted at any one time. The station became a key asset in the global ECHELON network of the US-UK-ANZAC intelligence sharing alliance, with Alert being privy to many secret Soviet communications regarding land-based and sea-based ICBM test launches and many operational military deployments. Antenna 4 (through the wire) in former Echelon intelligence gathering station at Silvermine, Cape Peninsula, South Africa. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ...

Budget cuts to the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces in 1994 saw CFS Alert downsized to approximately 74 personnel by 1997-1998 when most radio-intercept operations were automated (controlled by CFS Leitrim). Remaining personnel are responsible for airfield operations, construction/engineering, food service, and logistical/administrative support. Only 6 personnel are now responsible for actual operations and control of the facility was passed to DND's Information Management Group following the disbanding of CF Communication Command with a force restructuring and cutbacks in the mid-1990s. Several of these personnel are likely also attached to DND's Communications Security Establishment. The Department of National Defence, frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for Canadas military, known as the Canadian Armed Forces. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Canadian Forces Station Leitrim, also referred to as CFS Leitrim, is a small Canadian Forces Base located in Ottawa Ontario. ... The CSE badge The Communications Security Establishment or CSE is an intelligence agency of the Canadian government, charged with the duty of keeping track of foreign signals intelligence. ...

With Canada's commitment to the global war on terrorism following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, CFS Alert has received renewed and increased funding to expand its SIGINT capabilities. However, as of April 13, 2006 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was reporting that the heating costs for the station had risen. In consequence of which the Military were proposing to cut back on support jobs by using private contractors [1]. A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ...

Aircraft Crashes

The military has constructed several roads in the area to permit patrolling, as well as for logistics purposes from shore locations near anchorages east of the station, as well as to the airfield. Resupply is provided by cargo ships during the short shipping season in late summer when Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers can provide escort services. The rest of the year, Alert is serviced exclusively by Canadian Forces Air Command (AIRCOM) transport aircraft which land at the adjacent airfield. The Canadian Coast Guard or CCG (Fr. ... US Coast Guard icebreakers near McMurdo Station, February 2002 Icebreaker Polarstern An icebreaker is a special purpose ship designed to move and navigate through ice-covered marine environments. ... CF-18 off the coast Hawaii CH-124 Sea King CH-149 Cormorant CC-115 Buffalo Canadian Forces Air Command (AIRCOM) is the air force element of the Canadian Forces. ... Alert Airport is the worlds northernmost permanent airport, located at Alert, Nunavut, Canada, approximately 830 km south of the true North Pole. ...

Alert is in total darkness from October 14 to March 1 every year and its weather conditions and isolation provides a significant challenge to pilots. This has led to some well-known crashes: October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ...

• In summer of 1950 an RCAF Lancaster crashed during the establishment of the JAWS weather station when the parachute for resupplies being airdropped became entangled on the tail of the aircraft. All 9 crewmembers were killed and are buried west of the airstrip.
• On October 30, 1991 an AIRCOM CC-130 Hercules transport aircraft flying to CFS Alert from Edmonton, Alberta via Thule, Greenland, was on final approach to the airstrip. The pilot apparently was flying by sight rather than relying on instruments. The aircraft crashed approximately 18 miles short of the runway, killing 5 of the 18 passengers and crew. Subsequent rescue efforts by personnel from CFS Alert, USAF personnel from Thule, and CF personnel from bases in southern Canada, were hampered by a blizzard and local terrain. The crash investigation recommended all CC-130s be retrofitted with ground proximity detectors. The crash and rescue efforts were the basis of a film called "Ordeal in the Arctic."

1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Avro Lancaster was a four-engine World War II bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF). ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ... A C-130 Hercules airdropping a light tank. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and United Kingdom military forces. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ... Map of Greenland Qaanaaq (pron. ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ...

Sports

In early April 2006 the Roly McLenahan Torch that was used to light the flame at Whitehorse, Yukon for the Canada Winter Games passed through Alert. [2]. Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Our People, Our Strength Location City Information Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 416. ... Motto: none Official languages English, French Flower Fireweed Tree Subalpine Fir Bird Common Raven Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 1 1 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 9th 482,443 km² 474,391 km... The Canada Games are a multi-sport event that occurs every two years in Canada. ...

External links

• CFS Alert (Canadian Forces)
• Arctic Adventure (Webpage of past Alert GAW lab operator)
• From Atop The World (Webpage of Alert assistant GAW lab operator)

A note: While the Canada Games torch was supposed to pass over the North Pole, bad weather prevented a Canadian military Twin Otter from making the trip. The torch did not travel outside of Alert that weekend (April 9-12).