HAM radio operators officially now a part of national emergency response (Canada)

The Expositor sat down with Radio Amateurs of Canada president, Alan Boyd of Little Current to discuss important changes to the way the organization works with emergency services, especially in the far North.

Mr. Boyd is probably best known as the former Manitoulin OPP detachment community services officer where he met most Island youth in the classroom, but over those years he was also a dedicated amateur shortwave radio operator, having qualified for his licence in 1986.

“Next year will be my 40th year being licenced,” said Mr. Boyd, who is president of the Manitoulin Amateur Radio Club. That organization serves Manitoulin and the North Shore and maintains seven repeaters on the Island.

Over those years of being an amateur radio aficionado, Mr. Boyd the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), taking on ever greater responsibilities over the years, most recently being elected president of that organization. There are some 80,000 licenced operators in Canada, with around 6,000 belonging to the RAC.

While being part of the local organization, Mr. Boyd was not only able to socialize and work with fellow hobbyists (they can often be found holding meetings at various restaurants across Manitoulin), he also became involved in some very serious work in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) program.

Read more – Manitoulin Expositor: https://bit.ly/4pRuP9k