Military conversion in Canada Closing the Pinetree Line Although it is not yet beating its swords into ploughshares, Canada is nearing com­ pletion of a project that is turning old military radar stations into centres meeting social needs. For Canadians that look to economic conversion to move the economy away from military production, the Pinetree closure programme is an important example. Ploughshares researcher Ken Epps brings us up to date. ince 1985 the Canadian govern­ nel could be found elsewhere within sentatives of the station staff (who act ment has pursued a little-known the Department of National Defence, as a liaison between the station and Sprogramme that has, as part of its for the civilians who chose to remain the community), the local members of mandate, the task of developing civil­ in the host communities there would UNDE, DRIE or CEIC at the regional ian uses for facilities now or recently be no further direct or indirect DND level, provincial authorities such as used for military purposes. The pro­ employment since DND had decided MPPs or MLAs, the nearby munici­ gramme is finding alternative jobs for that there was no further military use palities, and local businesses. Funding workers dependent on military spend­ for the stations. To meet the "social for administrative expenses of the ing. It demonstrates that, under con­ obligation" to the local communities committees is provided by CEIC, ditions deemed strategically and polit­ jobs would have to be found for through its Industrial Adjustment Ser­ ically appropriate by the government, these civilians. In essence, the govern­ vice, and occasionally by provincial Ottawa will actively participate in the ment needed to tackle a major mili- programmes. replacement of military facilities by tary-to-civilian economic conversion The closures of the 17 radar sta­ civilian ones, with minimized job loss. programme. tions have been phased in - the first The programme is the military-to-ci- five were closed during 1986, the next vilian conversion of the Cadin-Pine five by August 1987, and the remain­ Tree Line radar stations. ing seven by August 1988. According The Pinetree closures On March 13, 1985, Erik Nielsen, to Major Bruce Haavisto, the DND then Minister of Defence, announced have occurred without a official responsible for project man­ in the House of Commons the closure major job loss or agement, there have been alternative of 17 of the 24 Cadin-Pine Tree Line local disruption. uses found for 9 of the 10 stations radar stations as a result of the joint closed by the end of Phase II. The Canada/US programme to modernize new uses have included a seniors vil­ the North Warning System. lage run jointly by the province and The majority of the radar stations the local community (see the Alsask in southern Canada that were part of aving known for some time project), a regional training centre for the Cadin-Pinetree Line are being H that the Pinetree stations would skilled tradespeople with funding closed because they are deemed to be be closed the government moved rel­ support from UIC, a provincial mini- of "little military value now and ... atively quickly after the announce­ mum-security jail, and a native self- very expensive to maintain and oper­ ment in the House was made. In contained community with funds pro­ ate".1 (The Pinetree Line stretches April, 1985, a federal interdepartmen­ vided by the Department of Indian across the country with radar stations tal committee was formed to oversee Affairs. located in all provinces except Prince the closures during the following Understandably, the closure pro­ Edward Island. Although in southern three years. The committee is chaired cess has not been an entirely smooth Canada they are to the north of the by the Vice-Chief of Defence Staff operation. In Phase I, although the most populated areas.) and is composed of representatives re-employment success rate for those In announcing the closures Nielsen from the departments of Employment who wished to relocate was 100%, for also referred to the government's and Immigration (CEIC), Regional those who wished to remain, or could "social obligation to those communi­ Industrial Expansion (DRIE), Public not move, there were mixed results. ties which have come to derive much Works, Finance, Indian and Northern In an interview, Haavisto admitted of their livelihood from these old sta­ Affairs, Treasury Board, the Federal- that there had been some "hardship tions."2 An earlier report by DND's Provincial Relations Office, as well as cases". Municipal representatives of Directorate of Social and Economic the Union of National Defence Beausejour in Manitoba, where the Analysis estimated that in closing the Employees (UNDE). radar station closed in 1986, initially 17 stations the government was faced In the communities near the sta­ called upon the affected communities with the loss of almost 4000 jobs tions "local impact committees" were to demand a cash settlement to help (about half of which were military established to "make viable recom­ with rejuvenation of local economies. positions) and with significant eco­ mendations to propose non-military However, a proposed meeting was nomic impacts on host communities. applications" for the radar stations. never held. Although jobs for the military person­ The impact committees include repre­ Yet, taken as a whole the Pinetree Case Study: Alsask, Saskatchewan lsask, population 650, is an agricultural community on Athe border of Alberta and Saskat­ chewan. In 1960 most of the avail­ able land within the village was acquired by the Department of National Defence for Canadian Forces Station Alsask. The station has been a major feature of the village since 1962, and, at the time of the closure, station personnel accounted for more than half of Alsask's population. In 1984 the DND study predicted "the closure Aerial view of Alsask, Sask. with former base in background. of CFS Alsask would be dramatic for the population of Alsask. The Employees members employed by both the federal and provincial essential emergency services would CFS Alsask had been placed in governments had made clear that be lost and the unemployment rate other positions, the main focus of they had no use for the station. would increase by a significant the AJAPC became the search for Two months later, Public 12.42%. In the face of such facts, alternative uses for the station Works Canada approved the sale extreme reactions may be expected premises that would minimize the of the station to the village of from local people." impact of the closure on the Alsask for $40,000. Although In November 1985, eight remainder of the community. seemingly a bargain for a property months after the announcement Funding to cover administrative of 400 acres, 90 mobile homes, that CFS Alsask would be closed costs of the committee's work several recreational facilities and a by August 1986, the organizational came, for the first two years, from number of other buildings, the fig­ meeting of the Alsask Joint Assess­ an Industrial Adjustment Service ure was no doubt based on the ment and Planning Committee Incentive Agreement with the fed­ DND's recognition that "the cost (AJAPC) was held in the village. eral department of Employment estimate for completely demolish­ Chosen for the committee were and Immigration. ing a radar site is between $4 and the mayor and two aldermen of From the beginning the com­ $5 million." A few weeks earlier, Alsask, two representatives of mittee generated, and received, the AJAPC had received approval Local 806 of the Union of National many suggestions for the conver­ of their proposal to the Commu­ Defence Employees (part of the sion of the radar station. Ideas nity Futures Program for funding Public Service Alliance), the Com­ included a gasohol plant, a private to plan local economic develop­ manding Officer and another rep­ school, a greenhouse and hydro­ ment. This funding provided a resentative of the station, two fed­ ponics project, a drug and alcohol breathing space for the committee, eral government representatives, abuse centre, and a variety of now evolved to include represen­ and four rural councillors from training centre proposals. Commit­ tatives of other rural municipalities nearby communities. Additional tee members met with several fed­ in the area. The time was used to members were elected later. eral and provincial government develop what eventually became The mandate of the AJAPC was officials to explore funding, poten­ the main new civilian use for CFS "to evaluate the present economic tial government uses of the station, Alsask - a retirement community. base, work force, local linkages, and a variety of applicable govern­ As of January, 1988, 20 families local amenities, opportunities for ment programmes. For some time were living in the retirement expansion and the potential for the idea of establishing a fire col­ "villa" with expectations that the locating new manufacturing ven­ lege and emergency measures facility would be filled by the tures". Since an early committee training centre in the station with autumn of 1988. Meanwhile, the meeting established that most of provincial funds held considerable search for industrial users of the the fifty Union of Defence promise. However, by March 1987 site's larger buildings continues. Line closures appear to have occurred co-operation, not only amongst gov­ and in fact appears to have been without major job loss or local dis­ ernment departments in Ottawa, but quite supportive of, provincial and ruption. In fact, the Pinetree experi­ also federal, provincial and municipal municipal interests. ence has demonstrated that a conver­ levels of government. Once the deci­ sion programme can be made to work sion to close the stations was made, it 1 Hansard, Commons Debates, March in present-day Canada.