That time an Ontario nuclear missile base spiralled into a political scandal

Did you know that a long-lost missile base in northern Ontario once contributed to one of the biggest political scandals of its time and played a role in bringing down a federal government?

During the Cold War, the city of North Bay, located about a four-hour drive north of Toronto, found itself at the centre of one of Canada's biggest political controversies. Although the city benefited from its military importance and all the jobs that came along with it, its residents also lived with the reality that North Bay could become a target if conflict ever broke out between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

The controversy revolved around the BOMARC (Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center) missile, a long-range, nuclear-capable surface-to-air missile that was designed to intercept Soviet aircraft before they could reach targets in North America.

To understand the full story, we have to go back to 1959, when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker cancelled the Avro Arrow program, which was a Canadian-built supersonic interceptor aircraft that many believed was crucial to the country's aerospace industry.

In its place, Diefenbaker announced that Canada would purchase BOMARC missiles from the U.S., as part of its commitments under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Overall, 56 missiles were slated for deployment in Canada, with 28 stationed near North Bay and another 28 at La Macaza in Quebec.

A pair of BOMARC missiles during an exercise. Photo: Department of National Defence.

However, what Diefenbaker's government didn't initially reveal was that the missiles were only truly effective if they were equipped with nuclear warheads. Once that information became public in 1960, it resulted in fierce debates, with some Canadians believing that accepting nuclear weapons was necessary to fulfill the country's defence obligations, while others strongly opposed this, arguing that nuclear weapons had no place in Canada.

As polarizing debates grew, Diefenbaker found himself caught between the two opposing sides. While he was advocating internationally against the spread of nuclear weapons, he also sought assurances that any American nuclear weapon stored in Canada would be transported safely and could not be launched without Canadian approval.

The issue became even more contentious during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Due to Canada not accepting nuclear warheads for the BOMARC missiles, the system wasn't able to operate as originally intended, during arguably the most tense moment of the Cold War.

The dispute also strained the relationship between Diefenbaker and then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Undeniably, the issue resulted in decreased public confidence in the government and became a major contention point during the 1963 federal election.

That year, Lester B. Pearson's Liberal government was elected after he campaigned on fulfilling Canada's NORAD commitments and accepting nuclear weapons. On Dec. 31, 1963, nuclear warheads were finally delivered to the BOMARC sites in North Bay and La Macaza.

The BOMARC base in North Bay. Photo: Doug Newman, 22 Wing Heritage Officer.

Despite the extensive debates, the missiles were never actually used operationally and were only ever test-fired without nuclear warheads.

By the late 1960s, advances in intercontinental ballistic missiles meant the BOMARC system was effectively outdated, and after Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1969, the missiles were gradually phased out and removed from service by 1972.

For more than three decades afterwards, one of North Bay's BOMARC missiles stood on display in Lee Park (Veterans' Fields) as a reminder of the city's important role during the Cold War.

The missile actually remained there until 2009, when it was ultimately removed by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force because years of exposure had left it too deteriorated to maintain.