Ghost Towns

Abandoned

“It  must be remembered that most ghost towns are not the result of a single factor but the product of a combination of factors.”

-       John W. Morris, author of Ghost Towns of Oklahoma

Moon, Peter.  “Abandoned bases ooze pollutants garbage: Radar stations deserted in 1965 still pollute Canada’s North.  The Globe and Mail 19 Mar. 1997, final ed.: A1.

Peter moon is a writer for Canada’s newspaper, The Globe and Mail.  In his article, he discusses abandoned former military radar stations in northern canada, some of which are located in Polar Bear Provincial Park.  Describing one of the abandoned stations, Moon states “A collection of more than 20 deteriorating buildings, rusting fuel-storage tanks and tilting communications towers, the station at Winisk on Hudson Bay looks like a ghost town. But a ghost town that is dangerous.  Asbestos is exposed and blows around. Windows and doors are broken or missing and the building walls have gaping holes through which animals, including polar bears, regularly wander.”  This site has been abandoned for over 30 years.  It has yet to be cleaned up, because the military refuses to take responsibility for the hazardous sites, and the government doesn’t have enough funds to clean it up on their own.  “The radar stations, part of what was called the Mid-Canada Line, were built by the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 1950s and abandoned in 1965. The federal and provincial governments know that the abandoned sites contain hazards to humans and wildlife, but nothing is done while they bicker about who should pay for it to be cleaned up.”   Moon’s article is an infuriating look at some of the causes for Canada’s ghost towns, and their lack of responsibility to do anything about the dangers it poses. 

After doing a little research on ghost towns, I found this article rather interesting, because Winisk isn’t your typical American ghost town that is experiencing a new surge of people due to tourism.  It isn’t a cute, folksy ghost town abandoned after the end of a gold rush.  It’s toxic, and dangerous-- a testimony to the dangers of polluting.  It also fits into my imagery, as I am trying to create unsettling, vulnerable spaces.