Underground Complex at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay - Journey Down the Tunnels

At the Underground Complex, 22 Wing/CFB North Bay, the former home of the 22nd NORAD Region and Canadian NORAD Region. A drive down the South Tunnel and up the North Tunnel.
Originally posted for the Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence virtual exhibit, the UGC50 project, www.ugc50.com (now archived at aerospacedefenc....
Video is courtesy DND Photo, filmed by 22 Wing Imagery Section and cannot be used without permission.

[@stardustblue3625]

You'll see cut-outs in the rock walls that are spaced out every so many feet. They were used for blasting. Once the face is loaded and charged, you would go back and stand in the notch and wait for the explosives to detonate without having to vacate the tunnel. The shock wave goes right by without it knocking you off your feet, but you can definitely feel the wave going through the rock. It has a very particular and peculiar sound...hard to describe. It's an incredible experience.

[@wilburanderson2060]

Have u done this type of work before? If so where? What can you tell us?

[@flynndemunck3265]

Do you think I Could dig one like this all by myself with my own equipment?

[@qbanz00]

I thought it was so people can make u turns or let large vehicles through if there was oncoming traffic . I literally noticed that on another video and felt smart for my assumption , then I see your comment . 😂

[@qbanz00]

@@dan01ster you were there as personnel or contracting a service ?

[@festidious2644]

Nice video. For some reason I never understood, they took us air force brats through the tunnel in around 1966 or thereabouts. It was a full sized bus that we took from the base to Trout Lake and back. Being mischievous kids, my brother and I noticed that the second bus load would only be about half full, we got on again and went through for a second time. The bus didn't slow down at all and all I remember is seeing offices about the same colour as what you see on the right near the end of this video. They whizzed by pretty quickly. In 1977, I showed my friend the entrance from the base and before I could warn him, he took his camera and snapped a picture of it. A guard came out and took us up to the military police to explain ourselves.

[@festidious2644]

@AeroDefMuseum Thank you for this great trip through 'the SAGE'. My father retired in 1967 and his last position had to do with training in the same building your museum is in now. As kids, he taught us how to thread the projector and we probably saw most of the training films that came in. I met Bethany there in around 2015. Good memories!

[@TheOneandOnlyMyst]

Being from North Bay myself, this is so cool. I never got to see the base before it closed so thanks for the tour!

[@4theloveof_GOD]

Yeah but there is a living area that is not shown

[@qbanz00]

@@4theloveof_GODthere is a LOT that isn’t shown

[@mikepreston-engel8869]

I traveled those tunnels many times. They haven't closed the complex. They just don't run NORAD from there anymore. There are deeper tunnels than these, but you're not supposed to know that. (cough...cough..ahem)

[@notoriousqueenpigeon]

theres also another secret room under Widdifield S.S. under the gym.

[@qbanz00]

@@dan01sterthere definitely are.

[@theawakenedarewatchingyou575]

I had the pleasure of being deep in the mountain base In the early 90's as a cadet on a weekend field trip.

[@010hek]

Thank you for shopping at Walmart.

[@deborahvictoriaedwards5188]

Hahaha, love it...

[@robwillie226]

It's sad they moved it above ground, I hope the use it or a new bunker again.

[@poppy5525]

The place looks massive. It reminds me more of Burlington than NORAD.

[@LakeNipissing]

I have been down there when they used to have the tours during the Heritage Festival. We entered through the north portal at the 22 Wing base. Amazing this was all done in the late 1950s. Now that they have AGF, it would be sad if the SAGE is abandoned and allowed to flood (which it would naturally). Incidentally, the parliamentary channel (of all channels) once aired a two hour commercial-free documentary/tour of the facility with lots of technical information. I did record it on VHS or Beta, and still have the videotape somewhere...

[@dannyoneil2851]

yeah right

[@aukcc]

hi LakeNipissing, have you found that tape yet? Very interested, my father was SAGE programmer at UC in early '60's. I would be happy to pay to have that tape digitized if you find it, thanks

[@MrShobar]

All SAGE installations in the United States were above-ground structures-some number of them are still in existence, although not operational. One is not too far from my home (DC-12 McChord AFB WA).

[@HomeMoviesdotCa]

I've been digitizing for people and museums and archives since 2002, I'll digitize that tape FREE. [e-mail]

[@ryanwitheridge1919]

Would love to see that doc!!

[@Catoni52]

The Canadian section of North American Aerospace Defense Command. NORAD. Combined U.S. and Canadian military defense for the continent. This video shows only the Canadian underground tunnel system deep underground in the bedrock under a large solid rock hill in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I think it's about 100 feet underground. You can see the big blast doors in the middle of the video. But the video does not take us past the blast doors into the complex itself. We don't get to see that. It only takes us through the access tunnel. There is enough food, water and other supplies to live underground there for a long, long time. The U.S. section of NORAD is inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. There are both U.S. military and Canadian military in both the U.S. and Canadian complexes working together and there is instant communication between the two complexes.

[@AeroDefMuseum]

A fair bit deeper than that! The base level is under about 600 feet of solid granite!

[@TheCanada1]

It is actually about 600 feet underground. We worked there everyday for three years. Go B crew. :)

[@blackpanther77777]

@paul laprise what do they do? More info please

[@ArmandPaulin]

Work there for 2 years back in the days,

[@AnnieLouie]

Armand Paulin yes please tell us anything amd everytbing

[@mrwilfredmyers7566]

I did my video not knowing of your video. Very ironic.

[@TheArea51Rider]

Nice! I wasn't even aware of this.

[@canadianman000]

I work in the old Diefenbunker in Nova Scotia. I'll trade you tours ;)

[@flynndemunck3265]

Do you think I could dig my own tunnel like the one in this video?

[@rcharles6123]

I had a family member who worked at the base

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

I hope we never ever have a real need for this stuff. Starting to feel like the cold war all over again lately :/ That's a part of the 80's I'd rather not relive.

[@brianq-peep9816]

I rode that tunnel for 10 years

[@sms7505]

I went on a private tour in 95, my dad worked there. Thank-you for this video reminder!

[@gdprmwd3161]

Would be amazing to have access to such places.

[@flynndemunck3265]

@AeroDefMuseum Do you think I could build/dig my own tunnel like this? with my own equipment? by myself?

[@AeroDefMuseum]

You could certainly try (with the proper permits), but this tunnel took about 18 months to dig, and about 750 tons of explosives, so this may be out of reach for most!

[@spencermacdonald5762]

Money making opportunity here Just like Alcatraz

[@thomthumbe]

I used to work in similar facilities, in different locations. It was great fun!! I have a large chunk of rock from when they were digging a new side tunnel some years ago. It sits on my desk and everybody wonders why I have a large chunk of "rock" (solid granite) on my desk?? It was all worth it as a deterrent thru the years....but I just can't get over how much we've all spent on such tunnels over time (many B$)...and yet NONE of it has ever once been used for what it was designed for. Indeed in today's world....these and similar tunnels are not all that protective anymore. Sitting at a desk, hundreds or even thousands of feet underground inside solid rock...you are doing little more than a sitting in your own tomb. I was once asked to be a staffer on the list to staff such a tunnel, once upon a time. I replied with a firm, "hell no!" It wasn't long afterwords when I was reassigned to another position. Life goes on!!

[@eternalseeker6820]

and not one single hitch-hiker or cyclist

[@michaele1278]

People were able to walk the south tunnel. Many did.

[@knmhermary]

YES - i remember this .....North Bay strong!

[@knmhermary]

what?

[@knmhermary]

ok this is Rob Hink - Matt Hermary is rough computer!@

[@reinaliejorolan2670]

Hi, we are doing a community feature of North Bay, May I please get permission to use this video?

[@AeroDefMuseum]

Hello, thanks for reaching out. Please e-mail us at [e-mail] with the request and the details of your project. Thank you!

[@Inlinetodie]

worked throughout Ontario, some of these tunnels have railway systems leading to the neighboring citys

[@chimie4933]

That’s sick!

[@noahfremont6310]

Wait actually?!

[@Inlinetodie]

@@noahfremont6310 yes, click me name, may still be in me videos list, KZbin been taking me good stuff.

[@vn9014]

Tunnel vision

[@jeanninesavoni690]

Can someone tell me if tours are given? My Dad worked in this mountain back in the 60s, with IBM. At that time it was called SAGE. It changed names later on to the ROCC. It's an amazing building and I'd like to see it again.

[@AeroDefMuseum]

Hi Jeannine, unfortunately requests for tours of the UGC are no longer possible. Thanks for your interest, and the Museum is always around if you have any questions about it.

[@hmw_kamikaze3885]

There’s a renewed interest in making it a science museum like Science North.

[@awh046044]

Would your Dad be Gus ?. I too worked "down the hole" from 1968 to 1976 with IBM. It was an incredible time and it sometimes feels like a dream now.

[@DGardhouse]

No sound

[@ryemc915]

A big growop A!!

[@greenteambc]

Wouldn’t stay down there too long! They probably still house some decommissioned nukes there

[@AeroDefMuseum]

Hey Green Team! No nukes down there, those were kept at the BOMARC base about a 15 minute drive away! Check out one of our oral history interviews with a gent that worked at the BOMARC site here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apiXZaOIoph0iJI.

[@monicadzisiak7291]

SEARCH MR. J. OUELLETTE and son .GRANDMOTHER GERDA.

[@MrEddieG420]

3:45 whats down that tunnel?

[@AeroDefMuseum]

At the base of the two tunnels (the one this video goes 'down' is the South Tunnel and the one the video goes 'up' is the North Tunnel) is the main installation for the Underground Complex, former home of the Canadian NORAD Region/Canadian Air Defence Sector, tracking aircraft entering or already in Canadian airspace. Visit www.ugc50.com to learn more about this facility,

[@MrEddieG420]

pause at 3:45 thats the tunnel I mean. I know where im at and whats down there, (NOARD) but this trip just stays along the main road, would liked to have see down a few of the other tunnels lol a couple are unlit look like breakdown areas lol

[@AeroDefMuseum]

You are correct in a way when you say 'breakdown areas', they are actually just little pull-off areas to allow vehicles to pass each other in the single-lane tunnels. They are only deep enough to accommodate a single vehicle. If there were any vehicle problems inside the tunnel, they could park in one of these areas to avoid blocking the tunnel.

[@MrEddieG420]

AerospaceDefence

[@AeroDefMuseum]

Loki Diesel This was actually filmed by the 22 Wing/CFB North Bay Imagery Section, and is also currently on display in our museum. You actually need a special driver's license to be able to drive down the tunnel!

[@littlebull8881]

So that's where Trump keeps his CokaCola

[@anthonyg7534]

I tell you the truth ya I hope King George don't take my leg off ya you ant you kidding even the old jobs are big jobs

[@anthonybronson8231]

This does not surprise myself or members of our clan well aware of any more tunnels than these some of which we may be will not mention from own personal connections and pur family knowledge their is a few in our Scarborough donmills and out to Toronto east give me something new thanks mate....

[@theawakenedarewatchingyou575]

Church @ Gerrard st tunnel....

[@dontcare3]

does your clan worship the devil by chance?