Vikings headed west from Greenland eventually made landfall in a remote part of Canada known as Labrador. They named this region Markland and used it as a source of timber for constructing their long-ships and their homes back in Greenland.
Situated on the Churchill River, Happy Valley is home to Flower Cove Lighthouse and the Labrador Military Museum. Located on the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) airbase, the museum reveals how Canadian and American aircraft prepared here for their journeys across the Atlantic during WWII. In addition, Americans from the Strategic Air Command called this base home during the Cold War.
Today, the town of Happy Valley, Labrador is home to the largest military air base in northeastern North America. The RCAF operates two squadrons here and it also serves as a forward operating base for Canadian fighters. After the 911 attacks, seven of the 132 aircraft that sought safety and refuge in Atlantic Canada landed at the facilities of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
