Canada’s Home of Radar

Top-Secret WWII Radar Training Base in Rural Ontario

In the middle of WWII in 1941, government officials scoped out the area around Clinton on a secret mission: selecting the location for the first radar training school in North America. They needed a place remote from England where the base would be safe and secret. They settled on the area just south of Clinton (now known as Vanastra) due to its discreet location and because of the landscape. Huron County’s flat land and shoreline resembled southeast England where aerial fighting was occurring. 

The base's construction moved very fast. From May to September of 1941, roads and over forty buildings were built so that the Royal Air Force Radio School could open that year. The base had housing, a fire station, a school, a hospital, a theatre, churches, and sports facilities. Radar equipment from England began arriving in July. The school opened in 1941 and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) took over in 1943.

RCAF Clinton trained both radar technicians and operators. Many courses were offered and each consisted of thirty hours each week, although students were expected to work outside of class. Courses ranged in length from 9 to 43 weeks. Students received lots of hands-on experience with the over $5 million in equipment that was at the base. The purpose of the base remained top secret and even citizens of Clinton weren’t sure what was happening there. They were confused how it could be an air base without planes or a runway! It wasn’t until after the war that the secret was shared.

The school continued to be active during the Cold War. Over the 30 years that the school operated, around 150,000 people graduated from there. They were known as the best in the field. In 1972, the base closed and was sold. A national contest was held to rename the area and Clinton resident Margaret Rudd won with her submission of “Vanastra.” 

The radar antenna that sits at the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 8 in Clinton was given to the town in 1967 by service personnel. This antenna specifically is from a system developed during the Cold War to detect incoming Soviet aircraft and missiles. This antenna was once housed inside the radome, a golfball-like structure that is still visible today if you drive a few kilometers south on Highway 4 to Vanastra.

This information is from Stop 6 on Clinton’s historic downtown walking tour.