Communique from RAQI  01/98               Sept-Iles, QC, January 5th, 1998

As you already know, the members of the Radio Amateur Delegation Working Group, of which I am a member, were called to a meeting last November 28 at the Head Office of Industry Canada in Ottawa. It was at that time that the new federal policy pertaining to the administration of the Amateur Radio Service was announced to us.

In my first communique on the subject in the days which followed, I told you of the decision of Industry Canada to end the initiative to delegate the administration of the Amateur Radio Service to the amateur community. This ended four years of hard work by volunteer amateurs to devise business plans upon business plans which were all turned down by Industry Canada and culminated in their decision of November 28. But, you already know this.

What you do not already know, because it was under embargo, is the new conditions under which Industry Canada intends to manage the Amateur Radio Service in this country. Here they are.

1. Call signs are presently tied to the operating licence of an amateur station. In the new scheme, call signs will be tied to an operator's certificate. You will not need to have one call sign for the house and another for the cottage or your packet station.

2. Industry Canada intends to reduce the $24.00 annual fee for licences to $0.00, probably on April 1, 1999.

3. They explained to us that the first call sign will be issued free. If you wish to have more, they will be sold to you using the same principle as used for the "vanity callsigns" in the United States.

4. The delegated examiners programme will be maintained and even augmented. Delegated examiners will themselves issue the Certificates of Competence to those who pass their examinations. In addition, the examiners will themselves issue, the first call sign to an amateur who passes the examination at the Basic level.

5. All of this will probably take effect April 1, 1999 in less than a year and a half.

Many questions remain unanswered such as the policy on repeaters, networks and clubs, among others.

The embargo on this information is not yet officially lifted. But, I have explained to my colleagues that I must keep you informed because of the rumours of all sorts which are being propagated.

Although, you can discuss, and offer your opinion, on this subject I ask you to beware of the rumour mill which will inevitably be starting, even now, and be careful in what some others, supposedly well informed people will tell you. There will be no more than five or six amateurs in the entire country who will be made aware of the details as they will come out of Industry Canada. I am one of them and I promise to keep you informed.

73,

Daniel A. Lamoureux, VE2ZDL
President, Radio Amateur du Québec Inc
Director, Quebec, Radio Amateurs of Canada

Translation into English; James R. Hay, VE2VE, President, MARC.