Longstaff Bluff Water Aerodrome

Military conversion and obsolescence. The aerodrome existed solely to serve the manned Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line station at Longstaff Bluff. When the DEW Line was replaced by the largely automated and unmanned North Warning System (NWS), the need for a dedicated water aerodrome to transport personnel and supplies was eliminated.

The site is no longer an active or designated aerodrome. The location now hosts the BAR-4 Short Range Radar station, which is an unmanned component of the modern North Warning System (NWS), operated by the Department of National Defence. The former water landing area is simply a natural body of water, and the surrounding land is a restricted military site containing automated radar equipment. The area is extremely remote and not publicly accessible.

The Longstaff Bluff Water Aerodrome was not a public airport but a private military facility integral to the operation of the Longstaff Bluff DEW Line site (Index Number: BAR-4) during the Cold War. Its primary function was to facilitate the transport of personnel, mail, and light cargo via float-equipped aircraft, such as the DHC-2 Beaver or DHC-3 Otter, which were common for accessing remote northern sites. The aerodrome played a small but essential role in the logistical support chain for this critical air defense radar network, which was designed to provide early warning of a potential Soviet air attack over the North Pole.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Longstaff Bluff Water Aerodrome. The military requirement for the facility ceased with the automation of the radar site, and there is no civilian population or economic activity in the immediate vicinity to justify its reactivation for public or commercial use. Maintenance for the current NWS site is typically conducted via helicopter.