Photo: Operation NEVUS underway on Ellesmere Island

About 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel from across Canada, along with aircraft ranging from a huge Globemaster CC-177 to helicopters and a Twin Otter, are on Ellesmere Island this month for Operation Nevus 2016. Until June 30, they’ll perform essential maintenance on the High Arctic Data Communications System located between the listening stations of Eureka and Alert. The High Arctic Data Communication Systems, built in the 1980s to connect Alert with Department of Defence, includes repeaters, set up to bounce signals from Alert, where no satellite is in view due to the curvature of the earth. They transmit secure signals to Eureka’s satellite dish. Here you can see the Black Top Mountain repeater station. (PHOTO COURTESY OF DND)