GC6T5EK Slemon Bunker - Resurection (Traditional Cache) in Prince Edward Island, Canada created by El Nimrod

GC6T5EK ▼

A cache by El Nimrod Message this owner

Hidden : 9/17/2016

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Between 1941-1991, Summerside enjoyed a strong military presence. An airfield base was opened in 1941 as RCAF Station Summerside, a flight school. Closed in 1946, it reopened in 1947 as a NATO training facility. During the Cold War, the base was home to anti-submarine and coastal patrol aircraft. In 1968, the merger of the 3 service branches into the unified Canadian Forces saw RCAF Station Summerside change its name to CFB Summerside. The base's chief role changed to one of support for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and search and rescue operations until federal budget cuts forced its permanent closure in 1991. Today, the entire property including airfield, housing units, hangars and support structures has been renamed Slemon Park and is host to a mix of public and private sector operations. Air Marshall Roy Slemon (1904-1992) was the RCAF Chief of the Air Staff (1953-1957) and the first Deputy Commander in Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) (1958-1964). It was during his command at the height of the Cold War that he oversaw construction of the top secret East coast command centre at CFB Summerside subsequently referred to as the "Slemon Bunker". Long before NORAD's massive underground operations centre was set up inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, there was a highly classified forerunner located beneath several acres of farmland in St. Eleanors, PEI, alongside CFB Summerside. The bunker, operationally, was intended to be an integrated US-Canadian military command post in the event of a nuclear missile attack.

Sixty years following its construction, the decommissioned bunker has recently come to light through the Freedom of Information Act. The cache is located 20 m from one of the original 4 entrances. It is located just off an abandoned rail line that was used to covertly bring supplies and personnel to the bunker.

Favourite Points are welcome if you liked the bunker.

WARNING:

You do NOT have to enter the bunker to retrieve the cache. The entrance is fairly overgrown, the stone stairs are crumbly, and the bunker may be wet at times (see photo). Even though you can descend the stairs, the tunnel itself remains locked and off-limits.

NOTE:

This cache was originally located at the West entrance (GC1GABY; 2008) but was archived due to coyote habitation in the tunnel. This entrance was unearthed during the removal of the rail tracks a few years ago.

some text