Cape Young DEW Line Station

Military and technological obsolescence. The station was an 'Intermediate' site (I-Site) within the DEW Line, designed to fill radar gaps between main stations. The DEW Line technology became outdated, and the system was replaced by the more advanced, automated North Warning System (NWS). The NWS architecture did not require the numerous intermediate sites, rendering Cape Young and its supporting airstrip redundant and leading to its decommissioning.

The site is abandoned and has undergone extensive environmental remediation. Following its closure, the site was part of the comprehensive DEW Line Clean-Up Project managed by the Canadian Department of National Defence. This project involved the demolition of all buildings, the removal of hazardous materials like PCBs from transformers, the remediation of contaminated soil, and the disposal of scrap metal and debris. The gravel airstrip remains physically visible on the landscape but is unmaintained, uncertified, and unusable for any official aviation. The area has been returned to a near-natural state.

Cape Young was a critical component of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, a massive joint US-Canadian defense project established during the Cold War to provide early warning of a potential Soviet bomber attack over the Arctic. The station was designated CAM-3, operating as an Intermediate site in the Main Sector centered on Cambridge Bay (CAM-Main). Its primary operation was 24/7 radar surveillance using AN/FPS-19 Doppler radar systems. The gravel airstrip (the 'airport') was its logistical lifeline, essential for transporting personnel, fuel, food, and equipment via military and chartered aircraft, such as the C-130 Hercules, to the extremely remote location.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. Its original military purpose is obsolete, and there is no local population, industry, or economic driver in the immediate vicinity to justify the immense cost of reactivating, certifying, and maintaining an airstrip in such a remote and harsh Arctic environment.