Argentia at war

After viewing the storm damage we drove out to the ferry docking area in Argentia.
Here we viewed something we had never read about in the history books in Ontario.
A vast, empty, abandoned area of airplane runways, ammunition bunkers and deteriorating military buildings made up the village of Argentia. A stop at the tourist bureau cleared up some questions and created others.

Apparently some sort of deal was struck between Newfoundland and the USA in 1941. (Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949).

People were relocated-not a nice word- houses burned and very little compensation given to them for their cooperation. Here a self-sufficient village that had thrived through the depression found their generational homes taken to build a naval/air base. Three cemeteries were disinterred and taken away. The cemeteries were moved at night and in the end the houses were bulldozed first and then burned because the local residents became too upset.

These people had to find their own way with their belongings to the next village or to other relatives in Newfoundland so that they could start their life over. Relocation...

Why was a US air/naval base being built in Newfoundland before the attack on Pearl Harbour?


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