Northern Arctic Outpost in Canada

By ⋅ December 21, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
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CFS Alert (Photo: Royal Canadian Air Force)

CFS Alert (Photo: Royal Canadian Air Force)

We’re looking for the northernmost place in the world where people live year round.

This Canadian outpost looks out on the ice-covered Lincoln Sea all the way to Greenland.

It’s a dark and remote Arctic setting.

On Wednesday, the temperature was about minus 18 Celsius – that’s zero degrees Fahrenheit and it’s pitch dark all the time during the winter months.

So, can you name this isolated outpost? Where daylight doesn’t return until March?

The answer is Canadian Forces Station ‘Alert’ (CFS Alert) at the northern tip of Ellesmere Island. CFS Alert commanding officer Major Andre Delhommou tells anchor Marco Werman about a day in the life of the northernmost, year-round inhabited place in the world.

Discussion

21 comments for “Northern Arctic Outpost in Canada”

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001380707351 James Means

    That looks like lots of fun to go see. What a place to visit!

  • Dara Harris

    This story was so adorable; just listened to it for the second time with my aunt, and we had tons of great laughs :)

  • Dara Harris

    This story was so adorable; just listened to it for the second time with my aunt, and we had tons of great laughs :)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4NG2NPL5OHRHP2YVUU3EXLCZD4 MARIA IRENE

    The Slide show on the web site is very interesting.  At first, couldn’t picture Greenland being so close.  I would have never thought that Sweden would be closer to The Northern Artic Outpost than Winnipeg!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4NG2NPL5OHRHP2YVUU3EXLCZD4 MARIA IRENE

    The Slide show on the web site is very interesting.  At first, couldn’t picture Greenland being so close.  I would have never thought that Sweden would be closer to The Northern Artic Outpost than Winnipeg!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Christopher-Lewis/569146039 Christopher Lewis

    Been their got the t

  • Anonymous

    also we are east of halifax and closest city is edmonton

  • Anonymous

    remember Alert is east of HALIFAX and nearest city is EDMONTON

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Earle-Smith/1385214364 Earle Smith

    Watching this was much better than watching current Ice Pilots on History Channel.  I was a member of the first RCAF/RCN detachment to overwinter Alert in 1957-58.  Didn’t have fancy barracks and other amenities however we put in our time, did the job we were sent to do and returned to home bases after six months of near total darkness.  Canadian Forces were kind enough to fly me and several other Alert vets back in 2009 to celebrate 50th anniversary of Alert Operations.  Wonderful to be able to reconnect with other old-timers!  Great that Canadian Forces thought enough of us to lay on the trip!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-Robertson/732226135 Phil Robertson

    An amazing place being there in both winter and summer, and in 2009 my wife had the thrill of going there with the Olympic Torch relay.

  • Anonymous

    Alert is the reason I left the armed forces

  • Anonymous

    Alert is the reason I left the armed forces

  • Anonymous

    5 Trips – 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980.  The place certainly has changed.  IHTFP

  • Anonymous

    Five tours – 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980.  No women in those days and it sure has changed.  IHTFP

  • Anonymous

    Five tours – 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980.  No women in those days and it sure has changed.  IHTFP

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.sulley2 Joe Sulley

    Joe Sulley. I have lots of snow in my boots!

  • Anonymous

    Bob Bridges

    I served there withe Royal Canadian Engineers in a unit called 1CEU. My crew cabled the runway with new high intensty lights and constructed all the lighting approach towers at both ends of the runway. The same year the first new barrack block was being built and the shell for the new transmitter building. The first barrack block was completed that winter. The next summer the second and 3rd barrack blocks were started and the new transmitter building was completed. Herb Werth , George Trask, Wally Hagen, and Rick Labuik were some of the RCE personnel I worked with up there. RC Sigs 1 Line Troop were up there as well. Don Brown and Bucky Buchanan were some of the guys I met. These pictures bring back a lot of memories.

  • Anonymous

    Been to Alert as well as Resolute Bay. A fantastic experience!

  • Rick Stoyles

    I did three 6 month tours at this outpost.  The slide show is very nice,
    I wish ‘jet’ engine aircraft were used when I was there, I flew up
    three times on a C130 prop, with ear plugs in the entire trip.

    One can not just ‘visit’ this station as it is a military installation. 
    But, I would reckon you could get there via dog sled from a VERY
    informed indigenous person.  lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Da-Mc-Donald/1393213378 D.a. Mc Donald

    I was there from aug 70 to feb 71 during the mailbox bombing campaign in quebec and family was in st hubert,p.q.. christmas was interesting, but 151 kept me going. 220 souls there at the time plus weather rats. D.A. Mc donald sends…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hartim-Saliu/100002347845226 Hartim Saliu

    hello guys there are ship from greenland  to (alert) canada I want to go in black.i dont have document am ilegal completly.