ontario

Upcoming CanWarn Training and “Beyond CanWarn” Q&A Event

Posted on by VA3DBJ

For immediate release:

CANWARN

Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), the national association for Amateur Radio in Canada, is pleased to present its second CANWARN Weather Spotter Workshop for Amateurs and non-Amateurs this season. In addition, a special Q&A Live Event will also be held to close off this year’s training session.

Canadian Weather Amateur Radio Network (CANWARN), Radio Amateurs of Canada’s national severe weather preparedness program, is an important initiative. It equips volunteers with free storm spotter training, empowering them to protect Canadians from severe weather. It also educates citizens on recognizing and reporting severe weather, a vital contribution to keeping our communities safe.

Please visit the CanWarn webpage for more information: https://www.rac.ca/canwarn/ 

Weather Spotter Workshop: Thursday, June 20

The Weather Spotter Workshops events will be hosted by RAC Community Services Officer Jason Tremblay, VE3JXT, and will once again feature special guest Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Geoff Coulson who has been a Meteorologist for 37 years, including with Environment Canada for 35 years as an Operational Forecaster, Trainer, Outreach Officer and Warning Preparedness Meteorologist (WPM).

The event will be held online via Zoom. There is no need to pre-register for the event and you can log in via Zoom using the links provided. 

Date: Thursday, June 20

Time: 7 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Cost: There is no fee for this event.

Fireside Chat | Q&A Live Event: Tuesday, June 25

In this special one-on-one session, Jason Tremblay, VE3JXT, RAC Community Services Officer, and Geoff Coulson, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, will discuss the past, present and future of CANWARN, which has been affected by global climate change and its impact on Canadians.

Date: Tuesday, June 25

Time: 7 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Cost: There is no fee for this event.

Please visit the CanWarn webpage for more information: https://www.rac.ca/canwarn/

News post: https://www.rac.ca/canwarn-training-and-beyond-canwarn-special-event/

Changes to the RAC Field Organization

Posted on by VA3DBJ
Changes to the RAC Field Organization Sections Effective January 1, 2023 –
New RAC bulletin logo November 2019

As previously reported, on May 25, 2022, the Board of Directors of Radio Amateurs of Canada approved changes to the RAC Field Organization which will take effect on January 1, 2023. 

The RAC Field Organization will be reorganized into the following Sections effective January 1, 2023:

•        Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)

•        Nova Scotia (NS)

•        Prince Edward Island (PE)

•        New Brunswick (NB) – the Maritime Section (MAR) will be abolished.

•        Quebec (QC)

•        Ontario East (ONE)

•        Golden Horseshoe (GH) – currently called Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

•        Ontario South (ONS)

•        Ontario North (ONN)

•        Manitoba (MB)

•        Saskatchewan (SK)

•        Alberta (AB)

•        British Columbia (BC)

•        Territories (TER) – Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut will be combined into one section.

There will be unintended consequences to contesters and, in particular, to Field Day and three of the American Radio Relay League’s Contests: the Sweepstakes CW, Sweepstakes SSB and the ARRL 160m contests. These changes do not affect any other ARRL contests or any other contests.

What it Means for Contesting….

In his column “The Sports Page: The Canadian Contest Scene” in the September-October 2022 issue of The Canadian Amateur magazine, Tom Haavisto, VE3CX, discussed the impact of the changes to the RAC Field Organization on contesting.

Tom Haavisto, VE3CX –

“As previously reported, on May 25 the Board of Directors of Radio Amateurs of Canada approved changes to the “RAC Field Organization” which will take effect on January 1, 2023. There will be unintended consequences to contesters and, in particular, to Field Day and three of the American Radio Relay League’s Contests: the Sweepstakes CW, Sweepstakes SSB and the ARRL 160m contests. These changes do not affect any other ARRL contests or any other contests. The following column was prepared with input from several of the RAC volunteers who are working behind the scenes on your behalf.

The RAC Field Organization is divided into “Sections” that cover defined geographic areas, usually a province. Every issue of The Canadian Amateur magazine has a “Section News” column in which Section Reports  briefly describe the important role that volunteer Amateurs provide to their communities across Canada. There is absolutely no better way to visualize the commitment and dedication of these hard working volunteers than to read the reports and articles submitted to the Public Service / Auxiliary Communication Service column and the Section News
(see pages 43-52).

For reasons of tradition, those four ARRL events have always used the Sections of the Field Organizations in Canada and the United States in the exchange as well as for multipliers. Sweepstakes (SS) is the oldest of the four and began as a competition in passing formal messages back in the 1930s when handling “Radiograms” was a very large part of Amateur Radio.

As time went on, the Sweepstakes CW and Sweepstakes SSB became less like message handling events and more like the contests that we know and love today. This is where the quirky rules of Sweepstakes came from – they are based on this history of message handling.

In both Canada and the United States, changes in the Field Organizations were always made for their own internal reasons, independent of contests.

Over the years, the ARRL’s Contest Management Team have adjusted their contest rules to follow changes as they are made. The ARRL has already indicated that they will adjust the rules of Field Day, SS CW, SS SSB and the ARRL 160m contest to mirror the decisions of the RAC Board.” – continued at the link provided below:

Restructuring of the Field Organization – Radio Amateurs of Canada (rac.ca)

Upcoming ARISS Contact with Maitland Air Cadets

Posted on by VA3DBJ

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Youth Members of the Maitland Air Cadet Squadron located in Goderich, Ontario.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 16, 2022 at 12:25 pm EST (Goderich) (17:25 UTC, 11:25 am CST, 10:25 am MST, 9:25 am PST).

ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special Amateur Radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with Amateur Radio licenses aboard the ISS.

The Maitland Air Cadet Association supports the activities of the local air cadet squadron and provides enhanced support to the Air Cadet squadron. Maitland Air Cadet Squadron is a joint effort by the Department of National Defence, the Air Cadet League of Canada and the Royal Canadian Legion branch 109 in Goderich, Ontario. The aims of the Air Cadet program are: to develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership; to promote physical fitness; to stimulate an interest in the air element of Canadian Forces. Educational activities in preparation for this ARISS contact involves cadets designing/building VHF antennas, tracking the ISS and decoding ISS-APRS messages. Basic Qualification Amateur Radio courses for all cadet levels are being offered, giving them the opportunity to become a certified amateur radio operator.

This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing cadets to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.

The Amateur Radio ground station for this contact is in Goderich, Ontario. Amateur Radio operators using call sign VA3SQN will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

Ontario to Scrap Vehicle Licence Renewal Fees

Posted on by VA3DBJ

Ontario is scrapping vehicle licence plate renewal fees and the requirement for drivers to have a licence plate sticker effective March 13.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday morning in Richmond Hill, Premier Doug Ford said the government will also be introducing red tape legislation that will allow Ontario to issue refunds to people who have renewed their licence plate stickers since March 2020.

This will apply to all passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. Currently, renewal fees stand at $120 a year for passenger vehicles in southern Ontario, and $60 in the North. 

According to Ford, the move signifies $1 billion going back into the economy, and will still benefit the province because it will create a broader tax base.

Getting a refund

To receive a refund cheque, vehicle owners who have moved recently will need to confirm that their address information on their vehicle permit or driver’s licence is up-to-date on the province’s portal by Mar. 7 and pay any outstanding fees, fines or tolls. 

Vehicle owners will still be required to renew their licence plate every one or two years at no cost to confirm their automobile insurance is valid. For businesses, no refunds will be given for the period of March 2020 to March 2022.

Renewal fees and requirements for licence plate stickers for heavy commercial vehicles and snowmobiles will remain the same.

VE3RWN 444.9750 Cobourg Updated!!

Posted on by VA3DBJ

Repeater Call Sign: VE3RWN
Location: Baltimore
Frequency: 444.9750 +
FM PL Tone: 162.2
DMR: CC 1 (NEW!!)
Sponsor: VE3RWN Randy Neals – Kawartha Lakes Amateur Radio Club

VE3RWN 145.15 Cobourg Upgraded!

Posted on by VA3DBJ

Repeater Call Sign: VE3CKL (NEW!) – Formerly VE3RWN and VE3RTR
Frequency: 145.150 –
PL Tone: 162.2
AllStar Node: 28709
EchoLink Node: 28709
Sponsor: VE3RWN Randy Neals – Kawartha Lakes Amateur Radio Club
Connected to the Quinte hub (Quinte West-Belleville-Prince Edward-Campbellford).

Troops, vehicles to move through to CFB Borden for anti-coronavirus fight

Posted on by VA3DBJ

The military is advising people in the Toronto area to expect a large number of its personnel and vehicles on the roads starting on Monday.

The Department of National Defence says members of the Joint Task Force Central will be heading from units across Ontario to Canadian Forces Base Borden.

The movement is part of the government’s fight against COVID-19.

Hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members will be involved.

The department says the aim is to form a task force at Borden.

The troops will then be ready to respond to any requests from the government to help deal with COVID-19 or potential spring flooding.

2020 Spring Weather Forecast

Posted on by VA3DBJ

By Anthony Farnell

Winter’s bark was worse than its bite for most of the country, and now, with days getting longer and normal temperatures quickly rising, we can look ahead to all the joys that spring brings in Canada.

A battle will set up through April with leftover Arctic air making frequent appearances, especially in the Prairies. An active storm track from the Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada will keep it wet especially in April.

We have not seen the last of the snow just about everywhere east of Victoria and Vancouver but when it does fall, don’t expect it to stick around for long.

The leftover April chill will be replaced by a warmer-than-normal pattern for most of the country later in May and early June.

A cooler-than-normal April is expected across most of Ontario and Quebec, which is a big deviation from the past few months.

The chill won’t last with a return to above seasonal air in May. The turn to mild air will be enough to offset the cool start to spring, which is why above-normal temperatures are forecast for southern Ontario and Quebec.

Much like last spring, an active storm track will lead to above-normal rainfall in areas that really don’t need it.

The Great Lakes are already running near record-high water levels, and a wet spring would mean another round of serious flooding for lakeshore communities.

This could also impact cities further downstream like Montreal as all that excess water flows down the St. Lawrence River.

Coronavirus: GO Transit further reducing service temporarily after 90% ridership drop

Posted on by VA3DBJ

As the province continues to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, GO Transit has announced a further reduction in service amid a major ridership drop.

Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told Global News in a statement that with ridership being down by approximately 90 per cent compared to this time last year, adjustments will be made to train and bus services as of Wednesday.

Trains will continue to serve all train stations except for West Harbour GO station in Hamilton, which will periodically be served by Route 18 GO buses. Buses will continue to serve all routes. Some routes will see service every 60 to 90 minutes.

UP Express is unaffected by the temporary reductions. Trains will continue to operate every 30 minutes.

GO Transit also recently announced cash payments won’t be accepted on buses and at train station service counters. Cash will still be accepted at ticket vending machines. Riders were encouraged to top up their Presto fare cards.

As of Friday morning, the Ontario government said there were 3,255 cases of COVID-19 in the province. In total, 67 Ontario residents have died and 1,023 cases have been deemed resolved.

Distracted Driving in Ontario [Update]

Posted on by VA3DBJ

Ontario has granted permanent two-way radio exemption for Amateurs.

For immediate release:

Distracted driving regulations continue to be an area of interest for many Canadian Radio Amateurs. These regulations are made and enforced by provincial governments and can vary considerably from province to province and over time.

In Ontario, RAC Directors Allan Boyd, VE3AJB (Ontario North/East) and Phil McBride, VA3QR (Ontario South) have been working hard on this issue.

We are pleased to announce that effective February 14, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation has “made permanent the exemption under Ontario Regulation 366/09 (Display Screens and Hand-Held Devices) of the Highway Traffic Act for hand-held two-way radios for commercial drivers and Amateur Radio operators.”

The official publication of the amendment to the regulations is available online at:

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r20018

The amendment came into force on February 14, 2020. 

The key item mentioned in the amendment is as follows:

“5. Subsection 13(2) of the Regulation is revoked.”

This indicates that the former subsection 13(2), which was the previous time limit which was set on the exemption for the handheld use of two-way radios has been removed.

English:

Amendment: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r20018

Regulation: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/090366

French:

Amendement : https://www.ontario.ca/fr/lois/reglement/r20018

Règlement : https://www.ontario.ca/fr/lois/reglement/090366