That will be the scene in Mould Bay next winter when Environment Canada closes down the 49-year-old weather station on Prince Patrick Island to save an estimated $1.5 million a year.

"We can't afford to operate it," said Dave Law, an Environment Canada official in Winnipeg.

The station is to be run as part of a satellite network from now on, to be powered either by wind or solar panels, with a backup battery.

The federal government's cutbacks to Environment Canada in the past few years have made the service re-evaluate the need to staff its remote arctic weather stations. "It was an easy choice for us to make," said Law, referring to high cost of running Mould Bay.

Located on the southeastern coast of the island, 450 kilometres west of Resolute and 325 kilometres north of Sachs Harbour on the western edge of the Arctic Archipelago, the station is one of many that sprinkle Canada's North.

One of the two remaining inhabitants is Lorne Novak, who has been there for six months. The other two members of the normal four-person crew have already been transferred.

Novak said keeping the station fully staffed is costing about $1.5 million a year.

Despite the closing, Novak said is optimistic about his future plans. "I can get work, I'm a diesel engineer," he said in a telephone interview last week.

"I saw it coming," said Albert Bernhardt, a heavy equipment operator, "The DEW Line did the same thing, and I used to work there."

Bernhardt said that after the station closes he will likely still be doing the same thing. Just this time it will be in Inuvik, the Yukon, or even possibly BHP.

Novak, originally from Cape Breton, and Bernhardt of Inuvik, now share Prince Patrick Island with only a few caribou, muskoxen, wolves, ptarmigan and arctic hares, they will be the last people to leave.

Novak briefly described the place as having one main building with eight bedrooms, a large warehouse and kilometre-long airstrip.

Last summer's highest temperature was 15 C. The winter low was -94 C with the windchill factor.

The summer gets 24 hours of sun but loses all natural light between Nov. 5, and Feb 5. And when the sun does return, it's only up for one minute that first day, explained Novak.

The station's last weather balloons were released May 1, and Novak and Bernhardt leave for good in August.

The weather station was commissioned in 1948. It was one of the first joint ventures between Environment Canada and the United States weather service.

"Fifty years was a success," said Law. It is as important as any site -- just very isolated and very expensive to run, he added.

There is a chance that the station may re-open, if the federal government decides to put some money back into Environment Canada, but that's not likely. "I doubt it very much," said Law.

Humans will still have a roll to play in the station after it goes automatic, however.

A small crew will be flown in to service the equipment once a year.