Marconi and radio in Canada

Marconi, Italian physicist, achieved on December 12th, 1901 the first wireless telegraphic transmission Europe-America. By this exploit, he had just created the era of telecommunications. He is recognized as the inventor of the radio but his transmissions were only in code . It is a Canadian, Réginald Aubrey Fessenden, who makes a success of being the first one to transmit audio.

In 1918, Marconi settled down in Montreal for the reason that only Canada was not subjected to the military limitations for wireless telegraphy. He based the “Canadian Marconi Wireless Co” there. And this company created the very first radio station to the world, the XWA which became, in 1918, the station CFCF. That’s why we can claim that Canada contributed to the invention of the radio.

It is necessary to understand that radio amateurs largely helped in the perfection of the systems of communication. Thus it was thought that short waves were limited by distance and were therefore reserved for the radio hams. But they succeeded in communicating over longer and longer distances so convincing the “Canadian Marconi Wireless Co” to use short waves to establish its transatlantic radio service.

The endless telegraphic line of Louisbourg in New Scotland to Montreal was expensive and the storms of black ice made it vulnerable. It was necessary to reduce its reach, to move closer to stations towards the terminal of Montreal. The MWT abandoned  Breton Cape and chose Yamachiche and Drummondville in Quebec where the clay soil and the vast lands were convenient to wireless operations.

From 1925, 8 metal towers were built among which 5 were 300 feet in height (91,5 metres) for the circuit of England (radio high frequency) and 3 towers 250 feet in height (76 metres) for the circuit of Australia (short waves).

During the second world war, the Canadian militia looked after the security of “Canadian Marconi”, the services of which then became more and more important for communications overseas so indispensable in a war period.

There are many operators who, of Yamachiche ( reception) and Drummondville transmission, forwarded to the four corners of the world  millions of messages.

The above information was culled from articles written by Michel Cloutier  and by Paul Desaulniers. References were supplied by Gaétan Beauclair VE2CTG. On the site of VE2GCF.