Our mandate for this project was to deconstruct the former radar control station in an environmentally sound manner, to transport regulated waste south and to build a confined disposal facility onsite for demolition waste – all within a two-year period from the June 2011 start-up date. All equipment needed for the Winisk project was transported to the site by truck, along the winter road. The former Winisk Radar Base (Site 500) is located close to Hudson Bay, within the traditional territory of the Weenusk First Nation (WFN).

Site 500, formerly used for military operations, contained petroleum storage tanks, derelict vehicles, metal-clad buildings on concrete slabs, a large hangar (a control tower and a 5,000-ft. gravel runway), a pumphouse, water and fuel pipelines, a fuel off-loading facility and scattered debris (metal, wood and plastic). Dispersed drums, several drum piles and a sewage system were also found on the site.

All work was carried out in partnership with the WFN and specific tasks were executed by the Weenusk First Nation 500 Corporation, with Sanexen’s support. The project was successfully completed in the winter of 2013.