NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. Dayton Hamvention Cancelled for 2021

Unfortunately, several setbacks in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic make necessary
the difficult decision to cancel Hamvention 2021.

Vaccine distribution both in the United States and around the world is lagging behind what
was planned. In addition, the emergence of a more communicable form of the COVID-19 virus
increases the potential for further public health problems in the next few months.
We make this difficult decision for the safety of our guests and vendors.

Those who had their tickets, inside booths or flea market spaces deferred last year will
be deferred again. Those who purchased 2021 tickets, inside booths or flea market spaces
will also be deferred.
If you desire a refund instead please email tickets@hamvention.org and we will contact you.

Stay tuned for information about a QSO party for the 2021 Hamvention weekend.
We are looking forward to the 2022 Hamvention!!!

--  Executive Committee, Dayton Hamvention 2021

2.   RAC Welcomes new Atlantic and Midwest Directors

As reported in the January-February 2021 issue of The Canadian Amateur magazine, following
the call for nominations for Directors of Radio Amateurs of Canada’s Atlantic,
Ontario North/East, Midwest and British Columbia/Yukon Regions, RAC would like to welcome
the following Radio Amateurs to our Board of Directors for 2021:

Al Penney, VO1NO, was elected as the new Director for the Atlantic Region,
Ed Richardson, VE4EAR/VE4VT, was elected as the new Director for the Midwest Region
Keith Witney, VE7KW, was re-elected as the Director for the British Columbia/Yukon Region
Allan Boyd, VE3AJB, was re-elected the Director for the Ontario North/East Region.

-- Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA - RAC President and Chair

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

3. ONTario Amateur Radio Service net - 49th anniversary.

Thanks to all that checked in. We had 867 checkins to celebrate our anniversary.
The busiest half hour was between 5:00 and 5:30 pm.
Thanks to those who stopped by to say hello.

-- Barry, VE3ISX - ONTARS Net Manager

ITEMS OF INTEREST

4. NOVA SCOTIA CONTEST WEATHERS THE STORM

A recent winter contest hosted by one Canadian amateur radio club turned out to be a disaster
-- and the members couldn't have been happier.

The Halifax Amateur Radio Club called their contest the "2-Meter Get on the Air Winter Event,"
and it was designed to challenge the hams' ability to stay connected in the face of an emergency.
For four hours on January 2nd, it was a dry run for disaster for John Bignell VE1JMB, the
club's director-at-large, and 50 or so other club members. It also turned out to be a frozen run:
the contest went forward despite a heavy snowfall that covered much of Nova Scotia.
John, who is also an EHS Advance Care Paramedic, said the contest underscored the need for hams
to have a reliable communications network when disaster strikes, as it did in 2017 when Bell
Aliant suffered a connection outage of landlines and cellphones in Eastern Canada.

John says the contest is also about having fun but it's important to remember too that when
the Red Cross, rescue teams or ground-search personnel need communications backup, hams should
be there and ready.

-- Amateur Radio Newsline and JOHN BIGNELL, VE1JMB


This concludes this week's bulletin.

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Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager

Posted by: Paul Caccamo <va3pc @ rac.ca>