Facts and Figures

Facts and Figures

Because of the size of the training area and the relatively small number of training missions flown, 98% of the training area is exposed to less than one overflight per day. 

The highest average flight intensity anywhere in the training area is less than 5 flights per day, but this involves less than 1% of the total training area.

To achieve a population density comparable to central Europe (230 people per km2), every living Canadian would have to move inside the military training area which is about half the size of Labrador (130,000 km2).

Only one community, Churchill Falls (population 800), is within the training area. An exclusion buffer measuring 20 nautical miles in diameter prevents any disturbance from military training.

National Defence and the participating air forces devote over $1.5 million each year to ensure the environmental integrity of the training conducted at Goose Bay.

None of the studies conducted so far indicate the likelihood of any significant adverse environmental effect resulting from military training.

The environmental effects and the mitigation programs associated with the military training are monitored by an independent environmental Institute in which aboriginal groups have a majority of voting members. The Institute reports directly to the Ministers of the Environment and of National Defence.

Anyone planning activities in the training area can ensure they are not disturbed by aircraft noise simply by advising military authorities using a toll-free telephone service.

The Quebec-Labrador peninsula is home to the largest caribou herd in the world - the George River caribou population has grown from about 50,000 in 1960 to an estimated 750,000 animals today, despite military low level flying training in the area.

Military authorities plan and coordinate their wildlife protection measures with federal and provincial wildlife agencies and in consultation with affected aboriginal groups and the environmental Institute. They make extensive use of satellite telemetry information to assist in their efforts.

Since the airbase was built over 50 years ago, it has been the single largest economic engine in all of Labrador. The airfield is now the most important service in ensuring the future diversification and development of the region's economy.