The site for the base was selected in the summer of 1941 by Eric
Fry, who was on loan to the Royal
Canadian Air Force from the Canadian Department of Mines and Resources, and was approved by the Canadian Government
shortly thereafter. To bring men and
supplies to the site dock facilities were built at Terrington Basin, which is located at the western end of Goose Bay.
Construction of the base progressed rapidly and
by November 16, 1941 three 7,000 foot
runways were completed. On December 9th of that year, the first military aircraft landed at the base. By 1942 there were 1,700
service personnel and 700 civilians at
the base, and in 1943 the airport there was the largest in the world. The base, which had been built by the Canadian
Government as part of its contribution to
the war effort, was also shared by the United States and Great Britain. It was used as a refueling and shuttle stop for
overseas flights throughout the war. In
the twelve-month period ending in September 1945 the airfield handled over 24,000 aircraft. It also served as a maritime
patrol base. The town of Happy
Valley developed in 1943 to house the workers who came to build the Air Base