Cape Parry DEW Line Station

Military obsolescence and strategic conversion. The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, which was designed to detect Soviet bombers, became technologically outdated with the rise of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and satellite surveillance. Between 1985 and 1993, the DEW Line was replaced by the more advanced and automated North Warning System (NWS). The Cape Parry station was not selected for upgrade or inclusion in the new NWS and was subsequently decommissioned and abandoned.

The site is abandoned and has undergone extensive environmental remediation. Like many former DEW Line stations, Cape Parry was left with significant environmental contaminants, including PCBs, fuel spills, and hazardous building materials. The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) has since managed a large-scale cleanup project to demolish the remaining structures, remove contaminated soil, and restore the site to a near-natural state. The airstrip remains visible as a long, flat gravel area but is unmaintained, non-operational, and not suitable for any regular aviation use. The site is now an uninhabited and remediated piece of arctic tundra.

Cape Parry was a 'Main Station' on the DEW Line, designated with the identifier PIN-M. Constructed in the mid-1950s and becoming operational in 1957, it was a critical component of North American continental defense during the Cold War. Its primary function was to use powerful radar systems to detect and provide early warning of any potential Soviet bomber attack over the Arctic. The airport, with its gravel airstrip, was a vital logistical lifeline. It was essential for the station's construction, enabling the delivery of heavy equipment and materials, and for its ongoing operation, facilitating the transport of personnel, fuel, food, and other supplies via military transport aircraft such as the C-124 Globemaster II and later the C-130 Hercules.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The original military purpose for the site is gone. Its extremely remote location, the absence of any nearby permanent community to serve (the hamlet of Paulatuk is over 100 km away and has its own airport), and the prohibitive cost of reactivating and maintaining an arctic airfield make any future use commercially and logistically unviable. The site is expected to remain abandoned.