Stokes Point DEW Line Station

Military decommissioning. The station was closed due to the technological obsolescence of the DEW Line system. The development of satellite surveillance, Over-the-Horizon radar, and the more automated North Warning System (NWS) made many of the original, smaller DEW sites like Stokes Point redundant. It was not selected for an upgrade to a modern NWS Long Range Radar site.

The site has been fully decommissioned and environmentally remediated. Following an extensive cleanup project led by the Canadian Department of National Defence to remove contaminants like PCBs, diesel fuel, and hazardous building materials, the land was returned to a natural state. The site is now located within the boundaries of Ivavvik National Park, which is managed by Parks Canada. The airstrip is unmaintained, overgrown, and considered closed and unusable for regular aviation. All station buildings and infrastructure have been removed.

Stokes Point, designated 'BAR-B', was an Intermediate Station on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, a chain of radar and communication stations built across the Arctic in the mid-1950s. Its primary role was to detect potential incoming Soviet bombers during the Cold War and provide crucial early warning for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The 4,987-foot gravel airstrip was critical for its construction, logistical support, and personnel transport. It handled military transport aircraft, such as the C-130 Hercules and smaller bush planes, which delivered fuel, food, equipment, and personnel to this extremely remote location. The station represents a significant feat of Cold War engineering and a major chapter in US-Canadian military cooperation in the Arctic.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airstrip. Its original military purpose is obsolete, and its remote location within a protected national park makes any redevelopment for commercial or private use economically unfeasible and environmentally prohibitive. The focus of Parks Canada is on preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the area.