CFS Dana

Canadian Forces Station Dana (CFS Dana) was a military radar station 35 miles east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the Rural Municipality of Bayne, Saskatchewan.

RCAF Station Dana (also known as Sage Hill) was opened in 1962 as part of the Pinetree Line of NORAD radar stations. The station was later renamed CFS Dana when the military branches were merged. The station was part of 45 Radar Squadron.^[1] The station was disbanded in 1987.

The station consisted of three pulsed radars, and support facilities, including barracks, married quarters (trailers), a school, chapel, bowling alley and gym. The site was powered by a natural gas-fired power plant, that also generated steam for heating some of the buildings.^[2]

Disbandment

In 1988 the base was obsolete and put up for sale, like many other pinetree line stations. It was first offered to any federal interest, then provincial, municipal, and finally to private interests. The sagehill development corporation bought the base in the late 80's, for $180k. For some time the PMQs (trailers) were rented out to civilians, but they are no longer there. For a time in the early 90's, an unknown company was producing soups and similar foodstuffs there, but went out of business within a couple years. In the mid to late '90s, the base was sold to a farmer, and is now a buffalo ranch.

As of 2011, the buildings are in disrepair, with roofs collapsing on some of them. Only one radar tower remains, and its radome has been deflated. The owner recently died and current ownership is unknown, but it is still a buffalo ranch.

Sage Hill Writing Experience

The Sage Hill Writing Experience started using the former base and town-site to hold an annual writing school in 1990; through the school moved to other venues after 1993 it continued to use the Sage Hill name.^[3]

References

External links

• Pinetreeline.org - Description of Dana
• Sage Hill Development Corporation

[http://www.trackingdistance.com 1997 video documentary by Greg Marshall - Stories from Canada's role in the Cold War and NORAD]

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