This letter is written on behalf of,
and as duly authorized by, some 130 Radio Amateur members of the Quarter Century Wireless
Association, Chapter 73 (Southern Ontario). These members are represented in virtually all
federal ridings in our area, and are seriously concerned about the recently announced
above mentioned IC plan to change the procedures for certification and licensing of Radio
Amateurs.
We are not against change, in fact our national organization,
Radio Amateurs of Canada, worked with IC for some time to visualize improvements and
simplifications in administration of the Amateur Radio Service. These discussions were
well advanced, including plans for devolution of much of this activity to a separate RAC
organization, when IC appeared to unilaterally cancel all this late in 1997 without prior
notification or attempt at justification.
The Amateur Radio Service has always been an activity with
specific structure and discipline both in Canada and throughout the world, where it is
represented by the International Amateur Radio Union. From what we have been told, and
more specifically from what we have not been told, we are deeply concerned that under the
now proposed IC plans this structure and discipline will be largely lost, to the detriment
of this valued and valuable avocation of 45,000 Canadians.
The Amateur Radio Service is also a vital emergency resource in
this country. It has proven its worth in many emergencies, the Quebec and Ontario ice
storms and the Saguenay and Manitoba floods being recent examples. However, beyond this
its many facets add up to PARTICIPACTION on the part of many thousands of devotees
throughout the country. Any diminishing of this would be directly counter to what the same
Federal Government has been preaching (advertising) to us for several years.
If government continues to diminish its ability to carry out its
regulatory obligation to manage and control in a responsible manner, the Amateur Radio
Service will seriously deteriorate. We ask that you intercede with Industry Minister
Manley to stop this regressive move and request that his officials regulate in a fair and
prudent manner.
Sincerely
Earl H. Mann, VE3EHM,
President, QCWA Chapter 73.
