Communications An Issue Yet Again. This time Ottawa

Communication was again an issue. This time it was during the recent events in the Ottawa area. Interesting to read how people continue to want to rely on cell phone systems even after they have failed.  Sometimes the old way of doing things works much much better  ! Maybe look at alternatives and not systems you know will fail.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/city-suffered-communication-breakdown-tornadoes-struck-1.4839382

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cellphones-emergencies-batteries-tornado-1.4844158

RAC Bulletin Presentation of RAC Amateur of the Year Award for 2017: Don Studney, VE7DS and Keith Witney, VE7KW

AOY2017_presentation.jpg

For immediate release:
On September 11, 2018, RAC Director Allan Munnik, VA7MP/VE7RMP (British Columbia & Yukon Region) presented the RAC Amateur of the Year Award for 2017to Don Studney, VE7DS and Keith Witney, VE7KW, on behalf of Radio Amateurs of Canada.
The intention of the RAC Amateur of the Year Award is to recognize an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to Amateur Radio in the past year or has contributed consistently to the welfare of Amateur Radio over a period of several years.
Don and Keith richly deserve the award for their outstanding work on the VE100VIMY project in which Canadian special event stations were operated across Canada during 2017 and a special event station using call sign TM100VIMY was operated at Vimy Ridge in France during commemorative ceremonies. In total, this project required planning and work over six years. Don and Keith deserve our gratitude for their perseverance and dedication.
The presentation was held during the regular monthly meeting of the Orca DX and Contest Club (ORCA DXCC) in Delta, British Columbia. The Orca DXCC was established in 2010 and is open to all Amateur Radio operators with an interest in HF DXing and contesting; Don and Keith are both members.
Before presenting the plaques, Director Munnik outlined the history of the Award and the Canadian Amateurs who previously received this honour. The Award was created in 1976 by the Canadian Radio Relay League, one of the two societies that formed Radio Amateurs of Canada 25 years ago.
Ed Frazer, VE7EF, former RAC Director for the British Columbia / Yukon Region and former Chair of Trustees for the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, assisted with the presentation and will be preparing an article about the presentation for the November-December 2018 issue of The Canadian Amateur magazine.
For the complete story on the VE100VIMY campaign and on the RAC Amateur of the Year Award for 2017 please visit: https://wp.rac.ca/canadian-radio-amateurs-of-the-year-for-2017/
For more information on the RAC Amateur of the Year Award please visit: https://wp.rac.ca/rac-amateur-of-the-year/
Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA
RAC President and Chair
 
Photo: RAC Director Allan Munnik, VA7MP/VE7RMP (left) presents the RAC Amateur of the Year Award for 2017 to co-recipients Don Studney, VE7DS and Keith Witney, VE7KW at the Orca DXCC meeting.

 

Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director

Sept 11 2018, Thank You

While the ceremonies in the US remind all of us what happened on this date, Sept 11 2001, we must also remember all those Canadians who responded when the call for help came in.  No job was to small no job was to big.  Thank you to each and every one of you.  Thank you too to all the first responders who carry on that same tradition to this day.