FRIENDS OF CRC
ANNUAL REPORT 2003
Friends of CRC
The Friends of CRC Association, established in 1994 to provide a means for alumni and others to continue to be actively involved with the CRC, is completing its ninth year in existence. This report covers the period April 2003 through March 2004. The tenth Annual General Meeting is to be held on 29 April 2004.
The Executive Board meets monthly (except during the summer months) to plan and carry out the Friends' activities. The main means of communications with the membership is by the monthly newsletter, edited by Jim Sawtell. The eight newsletters issued in this period are very readable and informative coverage of Friends' activities, members' comments on their activities and historical reminiscences. About a third of the membership receives the newsletter via e-mail, but about 170 copies are still sent by regular mail. It is also posted on the website.
The Board encourages the involvement of retirees by sponsoring social and technical events. A luncheon for the Friends was held in April, and a Christmas dinner in December coinciding with the CRC dinner. Seven seminars were presented, open to Friends of CRC and their friends, and to CRC and DREO staff. Typical attendance was 25 to 30. Some of the talks were recorded and are available on loan to Friends who are interested. We have also assisted with several IEEE-sponsored events. See lists below.
We thank Tom Carroll for providing technical support for the seminars. Coffee and cookies are generally provided afterward, thanks to the generosity of CRC. We continue to receive much appreciated support from CRC, which also includes provision of office space in Building 4, computing and publishing facilities, and support for the website. Ross Fines and Charles Archard have defined suitable, cost-efficient upgrades of the office computer systems, which CRC will provide.
One of the Association's main tasks is to record the history of many of the projects carried out at DRTE and CRC in the past. The Friends' website was established to provide a locale for this historical information. As new material is acquired, it is added to the site (http:// friendsofcrc.ca). Stu McCormick, webmaster, has further developed the site and will soon be adding a new item, on the history of the DRTE computer. The status and progress of work on history and other projects are given below.
History:
Currently, Doris Jelly is assessing a collection of 3/4" video tapes dating from the Hermes and Anik B programs. These tapes document significant pioneering experiments, sponsored by CRC, in the use of communications satellites. The tapes are deteriorating and the intent is to preserve the most significant ones by transferring them to the National Archives.
Many people in old photographs have been identified for CRC Graphic Arts. Graham Booth and Jim Sawtell have recompiled and updated the list of Alouette pioneers in response to a request from the Canadian Space Agency. This work continues.
Graham is reviewing the possible designation by Heritage Canada of the design, construction, test and launch of the Alouette I satellite as an event of national historic significance.
SMARTscope Project:
The latest update was published in the January 2004 Newsletter. Al Seaman is the active project participant and reporter. The Simple Multiple Access Remote Telescope (SMARTscope) is a robotic telescope that can be accessed and controlled via the Internet through a Web interface. Casual users will eventually be able to observe live or archived images. Although the facility is sited in Area 4 of the Shirley Bay campus, the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada leads the project, with CRC and Friends support.
Broadband Internet Project:
Friends' members were solicited to participate in the CRC project "Rural High Speed Internet". Locations in the test area have been defined in the rural application; and a few members agreed to join the trial. The project was delayed because Nokia was no longer able to provide free equipment to participants. While the project remains on the books of CRC its priority also has been downgraded due to other pressing priorities. Nisar Ahmed is the Friends’ coordinator and contact.
ISIS 2 environment effects:
Don Muldrew, CRC Researcher Emeritus, continues his research on ISIS 2 propagation effects and gravity wave ray tracing. Also, he is studying electron density distribution in the ionosphere and examining experimental results from the Oedipus tethered rocket payload.
CRC activities/projects interface:
Ross Fines, Charles Archard and Stu McCormick are looking at the various research activities that CRC is currently engaged in, so that Friends can assist in promoting them. This review may enable more effective CRC mentoring.
The Executive Board 2003-2004
Don Ross: Chairman
Jim Sawtell: Membership; Newsletter editor
Neville Reed: Recording Secretary
Doris Jelly: History
Hugh Reekie: IEEE Coordinator
Stu McCormick: Webmaster
Joe Lackner: Monthly Seminars Coordinator
Hazel Baskin: Social Events; Mailing
Nisar Ahmed: Broadband Internet Project
Sam Altman: Annual Report
Graham Booth: Monthly Seminars Assistant
Ross Fines: Communications; Research Projects
Charles Archard: Office Equipment; Badge Processing
Seminars
2003:
Apr. 24 "How to Search Your Family Roots from Ottawa"by John Reid
Sept. 25 "Adventures with Wildlife in Kenya" by Colin Billowes
Oct. 30 "Genes vs. Proteins ... the Booming Future of Biotechnology" by Sam Altman
Nov. 27 "The Challenge of Building a Plane that Flies"by Joe McNally
2004:
Jan. 29 "The World of Venture Capital" by Denzil Doyle
Feb. 26 "Canadian Space Program" by Mac Evans
March 25 "Amateur Astronomy" by Al Seaman
Special Events
February 3 IEEE Seminar – “Inertial Navigation Systems” by Myron Kayton
April 17 Annual Luncheon at the Britannia Yacht Club, at which Doris
Jelly showed a video of her January 2003 trip to Antarctica
April 24 Ninth Annual General Meeting
April 3 and 10, May 1 and 8 Hugh Reekie presented course video tapes on Sub 100nm CMOS Technology
May 6 IEEE Seminar – "Smart Antennas for Mobile Wireless Systems" by Jack Winters (an IEEE VTS&MTT/AP presentation in collaboration with Friends)
May "The New Truth About Telephony" – the story of Antonio Meucci – by Dr. Basilio Catania (Turin, Italy); a CRC presentation
June Annual Report for 2002 issued
Dec. 17 Christmas Dinner
Roles of the Association
The formal mandate of the Friends of CRC Association is given on the website. The basic roles of the Association include:
• Support the CRC Institute in various activities, and enhance its public image
• Maintain and foster working contacts with CRC Institute managers and project staff
• Provide monthly seminars on topics and technology of current and future interest
• Maintain a roster of retired CRC employees
• Provide periodic Newsletters to keep members and others informed of the Friends of CRC activities, and encourage retirees’ support by participation in them
• Assist the CRC to maintain a link with its past history and achievements
• Sponsor and arrange social activities of the Association
In Memoriam
Jeffrey Else 28 March 2002
Helen Beach 16 July 2002
Jack Hogarth August 2002
Margaret Cameron 26 December 2002
Helen McDougall 30 December 2002
Allan Craig 25 July 2003
Todd Garrett 11 September 2003
Jack Matsushita 11 September 2003
Irvine Paghis 29 August. 2003 – Director General in DRTE for many years.
Jerzy (George) Miedzinski 29 December 2003.
John Storey 4 January 2004
