North Bay SAGE Direction Center DC-31

 (1963-1983) - A Canadian Cold War SAGE System underground Direction Center first established in 1963 on Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario. Named North Bay SAGE Direction Center after the location. Assigned a Sage ID of DC-31. Deactivated as a SAGE Direction Center in 1983.

History of North Bay SAGE Direction Center
Established in 1963 and became operational on 1 Oct 1963 as North Bay SAGE Direction Center DC-31. DC-31 was unique in several respects, the major difference from all the other SAGE direction centers was that it was located deep underground and could become self-sufficient if attacked. The other major difference was that it was configured and programmed to perform the tasks of both a Direction Center (FYQ-7) and a combat center (FYQ-8).

North Bay Region Operations Control Center (ROCC)
In 1983 the SAGE FSQ-7 computers were shut down in the underground facility and replaced with solid state FYQ-93 computers that took only a fraction of the space and power. This system was a part of the United States JSS system and the underground facilities became two Region Operations Control Centers (ROCCs), one for eastern Canada (CAN - East) and one for western Canada (CAN - West).

North Bay Battle Control System–Fixed (BCS-F)
In 2005 the FYQ-93 system was replaced with FYQ-156 computers in a system designated as the Battle Control System–Fixed (BCS-F). This system was not placed in the underground facility but is situated in a new above ground facility near the north tunnel entrance. The new facility was originally planned to be a small operations center, but it was built as a much larger two story facility known as the North Bay Regional Air Operations Centre. Cost of this last Canadian NORAD modernization program was estimated to be $156 million.

Physical Plant
The underground complex has two separate facilities, the SAGE facility and a utilities facility both located in man made caves 600' below the surface designed to withstand a 4-megaton nuclear blast. The SAGE facility is a three story, figure-eight-shaped building inside a large cave. It initially housed the masive dual SAGE FSQ-7 computers, communications equipment and support facilities for the some 400 personnel who might be sealed in during wartime.

The utilities facility provides life support and utility services to the complex. Six 750-kilowatt generators furnished backup power for the SAGE computers and the air handling equipment should the commercial power fail. Since any power failure would be catastrophic to the vacuum tube computers, two banks of batteries provided interim power while the generators picked up the load. The six 750 kw generators were replaced in the 1990s by three 1.2 megawatt generators.

Access to the two underground facilities is provided by a 6,600' North Tunnel from the air base, and a 3,150' South Tunnel. The tunnels are connected in-line so that a nuclear blast at the base would shoot down the North Tunnel and out the South Tunnel. The two main facilities were located at right angles to the tunnel and protected by three 19-ton steel blast doors.

Construction and installation of equipment and furnishings took four years, August 1959 to September 1963. The cost was estimated to be $51 million, shared by the Canadian and U.S. Governments (1/3-2/3).

Current Status
Underground Sage Direction Center abandoned for a new above ground facility on Canadian Forces Base North Bay.

See Also:
 * North Bay Regional Air Operations Centre
 * Permanent System Radar Sites
 * SAGE System

Sources:

Links:
 * Radomes - North Bay SAGE Direction Center
 * Wikipedia - CBF North Bay
 * Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence
 * Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence - UGC50 Exhibit