Hello Alice
My family moved to Fort Churchill in the summer of 1964. My Dad was a member of the Royal Canadain Navy and was posted as the enginer "chief". His job was to oversea the heating lighting and waste disposal system. Our family consisted of my Mom and Dad sister Gayle nad myself. We lived (and are still living) in Victoria B.C.
I was 14 years old at the time and found our two year posting the highlight of my youth. Here we were four 'city folk" going to the end of the earth it seemed. The train trip from The Pas was a real adventure as I had never traveled by train before. We lived in PMQ # 159 H row, which gave us a great view of Hudson Bay and the sewage pipe which emptied in the bay. The Duke of Edinburgh High School provided education to kids who lived on base and kids from the town site. There was also Hearn Hall which was an ellementary school. I realy enjoyed observing the military operations although by 1964 the USAF was just winding down. The Canadian Army had turned the Fort over to the control of Public Works Canada. The Defence Research Norther Lab was still going as was HMCS Churchill. Recently I read a book about the U.S. NSA and found a reference to some of their people going to HMCS Churchill to listen to some Russians. The Base was described as being on stilts and very odd looking. Of course it was on stilts to prevent it from sinking into the permafrost. We left Fort Churchill in 1966 and were glad to get back to Victoria. I still think of the place and the people we met there. I could go on and on I supose, I have got some good pictures from the net, we did not get many pictures when we lived there.
Regards
Ian M....

********************

To: Ian M.....
From: "Alice L. Ramirez" <alice@chem.ucla.edu>
Subject: Re: Fort Churchill

How neat that you got to live there for two years. It's something I'd love to do for a year or two. Could do without the view of the sewage pipe, though!

You might enjoy re-visiting it now, comparing what it is now to what it was then. It makes a nice destination if you like bird watching, botanizing and nature hiking in the summer. The bears are fun to watch (from a safe place) during their high season. Easy enough to get there, just fly to Wpg then take the train (or fly on Calm Air) north. I wouldn't mess with renting cars in polar bear season, but in summer it's a great thing to do... rent a car and drive on all the gravel roads. It's fairly safe to hike in July, although I'd carry a can of bear spray with me just in case. I didn't, when I was up there in July a few years back, but would if I went back up there again in July. Still quite unspoiled overall, although the town (from what I hear described) is a bit bigger and more tourist-oriented. I found the people a bit different from what I am used to further south. They don't seem to have that sense of rushing around and getting things done.

May I add your reminiscence to my Historic Churchill section?

**********************-

Hello Alice
Yes you may add my little ramble to your site.
Regards
Ian M.......

************************

Hello Alice
During the summer of 1965 I had a two week job at the "Whale Plant" My Dad had been asked, by the people managing the plant, to fix the refridgeration plant. He took me along and met Mike DuPoncier and his wife. They were from the States and had leased the place. Have never been able to figure out why they took on this challenge. The plant was post industrial revolution using steam to power winches and the "big grinder" as well as the rendering tank. The place smelled horrable but I was young and a loose ends. The steam enginer was an old man named Stan who had worked in the lumber industry. He was a wiz at keeping every thing going and was kind to me. I have read that the plant is open as a museum.
Regards
Ian M....

************************

To: Ian M .....
From: "Alice L. Ramirez" <alice@chem.ucla.edu>
Subject: Re: Fort Churchill

Interesting. I never heard of it being open in the times I was up there, but maybe it's just not well-publicized. If I make it up again, as I hope I will, I'll check it out. It doesn't surprise me that it smelled horrible. I remember one summer job during my college years working at the Heinz Factory in Bowling Green Ohio. The place stunk to high heaven of tomatoes. I was told that I was one of the lucky ones, however. When they weren't boiling and bottling ketsup, when tomatoes weren't in season, they canned catfood. Apparently, the odor of all that half-rotten meat was unspeakable.