The Bomarc Missile

The Bomarc Missile. . , From 1979 to 2009, a Bomarc missile was mounted on a pedestal at this site in Lee Park (now Veteran's Fields) serving as a monument to one of the most important and controversial aspects of North Bay's history in the late 20th century. From 1961 to 1972, 28 Bomarc missiles were stationed at a site just north of the city off Highway 11. Nuclear armed and American-built and supplied, these missiles were a key component of North America's air defence system against a potential air attack by the Soviet Union and an important part of continental defences during this period of the Cold War. Their presence in North Bay connected the city to major world events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and important international developments, such as détente and arms limitations talks, like nothing else in the city's history. Yet the Bomarc missiles were also connected to major Canadian controversies as well, including debates about Canada's adoption of nuclear weapons, the cancellation of the Avro Arrow, and concerns about the country's deepening military, political, and economic dependence on the United States, symbolised by the creation of NORAD in 1957. Due to the reluctance of the Canadian government under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to equip them with their required nuclear warheads, the Bomarcs in North Bay remained unarmed from their installation in 1961 until the very end of 1963. , The Bomarc missile and its attendant military infrastructure brought jobs and prosperity to North Bay yet forced the city's residents to live with the knowledge that they were directly in the crosshairs in the event of the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and the Soviet Union. A demonstration of continental cooperation and amity , hundreds of American military personnel were stationed at CFB North Bay during the era of the Bomarc , the missiles also symbolised Canada's vulnerability to international forces beyond its control in the late 20th century. Almost uniquely, the Bomarc missile encapsulated the important developments in the history of North Bay and Canada from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The introduction of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the 1960s, however, rendered the Bomarcs obsolete for continental defence, leading to their removal from North Bay and La Macaza, Quebec, in 1972. The installation of an unarmed Bomarc missile in Lee Park in 1979 provided North Bay with a visible reminder of this important part of its history, yet the missile's deterioration forced the US Air Force to remove it in 2009 to the National Air Force Museum in Ohio. Nonetheless, the significance of the Bomarc missile, its era, and the controversies surrounding them remain deeply embedded in the collective memory of the city and its inhabitants., [photo captions] , . Bomarc Missile display, circa early 1980’s, as seen from Lee Park (Veterans Fields). Note CF100 in background. , . On Guard , . 22nd NORAD Region Crest with flags , . The site, aerial view, circa mid 1960’s. , . Bomarc Missile poised on its launch pad, circa early 1960’s. , . RCAF 446 Squadron with Missile, circa early 1960’s. , . Ready to protect North America.