By 1908 these 5 stations were in operation.
Equipment was very crude. Transmitters used an electric arc system to
generate the required radio frequency power. Receivers were insensitive
and communication beyond 50 miles was seldom achieved. In 1910
two additional stations, Triangle Island (northern tip of Vancouver Island) and
Digby Island (Prince Rupert) were added. Photo: Lofty Harris at
Estevan Point in 1913
Wireless communication had been demonstrated in
1901 with Marconi's trans-Atlantic signal from Wales to Newfoundland, and
even today there is some debate on just how he managed the distance. The
Canadian Government was quick to recognize the possibilities this new
technology presented and selected Point Grey (Vancouver), Cape Lazo (Comox),
Gonzales Hill (Victoria), Pachena Point (entrance to the Strait of Juan de
Fuca) and Estevan Point (west coast of Vancouver Island) as radio station
sites.
In May of 1911 an English telegrapher,
W.Jack Bowerman, joins the Wireless Service. He receives some on the job
training at Victoria Radio and is then posted to Pachena Point Radio.
Bowerman was an amateur photographer all his life. His photos of the coast
form an interesting historical record. It is also worth noting that not
only was radio in its infancy, but also photography. Photo:
Operators Tee, Bowerman & Berry at Triangle 1913.
Living conditions at the stations were grim, by today's
standards. Food and material supplies arrived every three or four
months. Household refrigeration was unheard of and staff relied on
fishing and hunting for fresh meat. At Ikeda all household supplies
were carried in over a four mile trail. Triangle Island dwellings were
anchored to the ground by wire cables and buttressed with 8x8 inch timbers to ensure they didn't blow away.
Rough living conditions, primitive equipment--rough radio.
The entrance to Jack's photos index page is via the button below.
Enlarge most photos on this site by giving them a double click.
June 18/08
Some staffing information from the 1911 Canadian Census added.
1907 Victoria Colonist Newspaper items added.
Send me a mesage
Re: Wireless
Web Site. ttyl Frank Statham
