# Casey military airport



## garnotte (28 Jun 2012)

Hi everyone,

i'm looking for some info or old picture of the Casey military airport. It located about 40 km est of the town of Parent in Mauricie area, province of quebec.

This airport was build in 1947 at the beginning of the cold war and abandonned around 1958. This is the only info I found so far.

You can see it on google earth.

 47°56'12.10"N
 74° 6'44.17"O

thanks for your help!


----------



## my72jeep (28 Jun 2012)

RCAF Station Parent part of the Pine Tree Radar Line.
14 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron. Opned in 54 closed in 64.


----------



## garnotte (28 Jun 2012)

Thanks.

Any idea where I could find some picture of the airport building? There is ton of info about the radar station in Parent, but nothing about this airport.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (17 Jul 2012)

Check with the Province to see what aerial photos they have. Often they will have sets from different years and you can see the changes from year to year.


----------



## The_Dictat (18 Jul 2012)

There is nothing left at Casey Airfield... only old ruins of the foundations of buildings. The airstrip is still there but it is slowly getting overgrown by grass. It is not even listed in the Canadian Flight manual.


----------



## George Wallace (18 Jul 2012)

There used to be an active website The Pinetree Line that had many contributors and photos, but now the links take you to Lighthouse Memories.  Unfortunate.

There are other sites that have some info, but again many of them have fallen into need of repair or upkeep.

http://www.pinetreeline.ca/locations/sites.html

http://www.militarybruce.com/history/base-history_4.html

http://www.militarybruce.com/history/base-history_45.html

http://www.lswilson.ca/


----------



## garnotte (19 Jul 2012)

The_Dictat said:
			
		

> There is nothing left at Casey Airfield... only old ruins of the foundations of buildings. The airstrip is still there but it is slowly getting overgrown by grass. It is not even listed in the Canadian Flight manual.



I know, I've been there twice last year.

There is  some rumor about an old bunker a round the airfield, but for now I only manage to find  some really big underground water tank.











The airfield:


----------



## George Wallace (19 Jul 2012)

garnotte said:
			
		

> I know, I've been there twice last year.
> 
> There is  some rumor about an old bunker a round the airfield, but for now I only manage to find  some really big underground water tank.
> 
> The airfield:



To some, the underground water tank would seem like a bunker.

What I find interesting is the painted Runway Number being in such good condition for an airstrip that was closed down in the mid 1960's.  I could sure use some of that paint for my deck and fence.


----------



## garnotte (23 Jul 2012)

I think the pavement and marking were made 10 years ago, maybe by the SOPFEU here in quebec.

There's not a single crack on it, it can't be 50 years old.


----------



## my72jeep (23 Jul 2012)

garnotte said:
			
		

> I think the pavement and marking were made 10 years ago, maybe by the SOPFEU here in Quebec.
> 
> There's not a single crack on it, it can't be 50 years old.



SOPFEU is the civi version of the OMNR Fire Rangers, in Que they handle fighting Forest fires.


----------



## Sigs Pig (23 Jul 2012)

I tried their website and the English link still brings up French page, typical... or my browser is broke.
http://www.sopfeu.qc.ca/fr/accueil

ME


----------



## Fishbone Jones (23 Jul 2012)

Sigs Pig said:
			
		

> I tried their website and the English link still brings up French page, typical... or my browser is broke.
> http://www.sopfeu.qc.ca/fr/accueil
> 
> ME



Your browser isn't broke. 

Perhaps it's just Quebec's "do as I say, not as I do" language policy. ;D


----------



## dedecoyote (27 May 2015)

I plan to do a overlanding expedition in Casey, (Quebec) to see the old emergency airstrip from the old RCAF Station. The runway is still in good condition and the foundations of the various buildings are visible, here and there.
For my own pleasure and for cyriosity purposes, i will go there with some good friends who want to see some pieces of our country story. I have located the foundations of what appears to be the main gate guard house and I plan to work my way from that point all the way along the runway where numerous other buildings were located.
But, this enthusiasm has a negative side… Apart from the black flies and musquitos, the lack of information makes it difficult to proceed.
I assume that you now know what my next question is, ‘n’est-ce pas’?
So, any document , photos or drawings, plans, etc that I could get access to would be more than greatly appreciated.
I thank you very much.
Best regards.


----------



## George Wallace (27 May 2015)

Did you check any of the links already posted in this thread?


----------



## Colin Parkinson (27 May 2015)

Bring a sketch pad, GPS, camera and if can a drone and document what you find and create a blogpost


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (28 May 2015)

It could be that the SOPFEU maintains it, but considering where it is located, smack in the middle of one of the most active forestry area, I would not bet against it being maintained "in secret' by one of the logging companies for its own purposes. Much cheaper to just maintain and paint the indications on a runway already built by someone else who shows no further interest in it. You don't declare it so that you don't get taxed on it


----------



## Colin Parkinson (28 May 2015)

yes lot's of companies will "seek forgiveness rather than permission" The annual Notice to Airmen's can also be quite out of date as well, with people not bothering to update information to reflect current practices.


----------



## dedecoyote (29 May 2015)

thanks all of you for your answer. I found some topographic maps, but i search something more specific. I found this picture in my search on the net and the guy wrote it from a document he ask to RCAF "the file name: DND Ottawa ON RCAF H.Q., Casey General Site Plan, proposed development". How can I make the same request as him? Someone know at which department (name, email, etc.) I can ask my request?


----------



## Blackadder1916 (29 May 2015)

Getting such information from the government is basically down to two sources:

If the records are still held within the department, then you make an Access to Information Request to that department. http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page

If the records involved have been archived at Library and Archives Canada then they "may" be available from them.  In some cases an ATIP Request is necessary but sometimes it is not.  Some things are online (not many in the grand scheme) and you may be able to search to see what they have.  A quick search did turn up this.

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=4594166&rec_nbr_list=138412,4594166,20550,198374


> 86 albums (c. 5278 photographs : b&w)
> 
> These albums contain photographs of the construction and destruction of various RCAF bases throughout Canada between c. 1940-1957. Included are photographs of bases: Uplands, Downsview, North Bay, Winnipeg , Val D'Or, Saskatoon Mountain, Brantford, Camp Borden, Portage La Prairie, Malton, Windsor, Aylmer, St. Thomas and St. Catherine, No. 1 Equipment Depot, Burch and Brantford, Mountain View, Port Albert, Dunneville, Port Hope, Goderich, Clinton, Picton, Goose Bay, Hamilton, Churchill, Greenwood, Gander, Lac St. Denis, Armstrong, Tofino, Comox, Clarke City, Fort William, Falcon Bridge, Toronto, Gander, Holberg, Whitehorse, Gimli, Parent, Chatham Radio, Edgar, Comox, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Halifax, Diver, Calgary, Sydney, MacDonald, Centralia, Casey, Beausejour, Bagotville, Baldy Hughes, Arnprior, Namao, Debert, Moisie, Lac St.Joseph, Cold Lake, Clinton, Claresholm, Rivers, Ramore, Penhold, Puntzi, Pagwa, Oshawa, Summerside, Senneterre, St. Jean, St. Hubert, St. Catharines, Sea Island, Rockliffe, Tour Au Pica, Trenton.


----------



## dedecoyote (29 May 2015)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> Getting such information from the government is basically down to two sources:
> 
> If the records are still held within the department, then you make an Access to Information Request to that department. http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page
> 
> ...



Thanks for your help


----------



## Harrigan (14 Jun 2015)

I believe RCAF Station Casey was a dispersal Forward Operating Location (FOL) for our fighters during the Cold War as well.  I believe in the 1990's a drug-runner was forced down there by a CF-18.

As an aside, if anyone wants to explore a similar FOL that is much easier to access than Casey, there is one along Quebec Hwy 118 between Mont-Laurier and Val d'Or at Lac-des-Loups (more or less in the middle of La Verendrye Park.  It is parallel to the highway through a small row of trees - west side.  In equally good shape as Casey, and smooth enough to give your spark plugs a good run for 6000 feet!  (so I've heard....)   8)

Harrigan


----------



## Good2Golf (14 Jun 2015)

Harrigan said:
			
		

> I believe RCAF Station Casey was a dispersal Forward Operating Location (FOL) for our fighters during the Cold War as well.  I believe in the 1990's a drug-runner was forced down there by a CF-18.
> 
> As an aside, if anyone wants to explore a similar FOL that is much easier to access than Casey, there is one along Quebec Hwy 118 between Mont-Laurier and Val d'Or at Lac-des-Loups (more or less in the middle of La Verendrye Park.  It is parallel to the highway through a small row of trees - west side.  In equally good shape as Casey, and smooth enough to give your spark plugs a good run for 6000 feet!  (so I've heard....)   8)
> 
> Harrigan



Casey was in November '92 -- would have to check my logbook for the exact date.  That Convair 580 was packed to the gunwales with coke and kerosene.


----------



## dedecoyote (19 Jun 2015)

Harrigan said:
			
		

> I believe RCAF Station Casey was a dispersal Forward Operating Location (FOL) for our fighters during the Cold War as well.  I believe in the 1990's a drug-runner was forced down there by a CF-18.
> 
> As an aside, if anyone wants to explore a similar FOL that is much easier to access than Casey, there is one along Quebec Hwy 118 between Mont-Laurier and Val d'Or at Lac-des-Loups (more or less in the middle of La Verendrye Park.  It is parallel to the highway through a small row of trees - west side.  In equally good shape as Casey, and smooth enough to give your spark plugs a good run for 6000 feet!  (so I've heard....)   8)
> 
> Harrigan



It'a true for the two CF-18, i read this story to  and thanks for the "Lac-des-Loups" i will check it soon


----------

