"THE DRTE COMPUTER - AN HISTORICAL RETROSPECT"
by GEORGE LAKE
Sponsored by the Friends of the Communications Research Centre.
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005,
COMMENCING AT 1 PM IN THE CRC AUDITORIUM
Now part of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology collection (though not now on public view), the DRTE computer is believed to be the first in Canada to exploit both digital and solid state technology. This ground breaking project took place in the Electronics Laboratory of DRTE, driven by such notables as David Florida (for whom the DFL was called after his untimely death), Norman Moody our speaker, George Lake, and others in the late 1950’s and early ‘60’s. While touching on some of the unique features of the computer, George will include some anecdotical background in his illustrated talk.
After leaving DRTE in 1966, George worked for some years at the University of Western Ontario before devoting the rest of his career to various positions in information systems and services including a ten year assignment as Director of the Computing Centre, all with Petro-Canada in Calgary.
George, along with his wife Phyllis, an ex-scientist at the then DRCL, will be joining us for lunch in the CRC cafeteria at 12 noon. He hopes that he will be able to meet there with old friends and colleagues.
All Friends of CRC, their spouses and friends and employees at the Shirley’s Bay site are cordially invited.
FRIENDS OF CRC NEWSLETTER
May 17, 2005
Friends,
We have had some interesting events this year and hope you have enjoyed our programs. We will not be very active from June to August as we all need a summer break. We have another interesting year of events planned starting in September and will be giving you the details in our August, 2005 Newsletter. Have a good summer and we look forward to seeing you again in the Fall.
Annual General Meeting:
The Tenth AGM was well attended. Each Member of the Executive Board each gave a short report of their activities during the past year. Future activities were discussed and Graham Booth submitted a list of ten subjects which could be used for our monthly talks next year. This generated some discussion and a few more suggestions.
The meeting was opened for the election of the Executive Board for the 2005/2006 year. All of the present Executive Board were re-elected. The elections were followed by a very interesting presentation by John Gillbert, titled, "The Joint Arctic Weather Stations and IGY: A Retrospective".
Future Events:
May 26: 1:00 p.m. in the CRC Auditorium, a Talk by George Lake entitled "The DRTE Computer - An Historical Retrospect". This is a special meeting to coincide with a visit to Ottawa of George and his wife Phyllis (an ex-scientist at the then DRCL) from their home in Calgary. George and Phyllis will be joining us for lunch at 12:00 noon in the CRC cafeteria where they hope to be able to meet with past friends and colleagues.
June 9: Friends of CRC are welcome to attend a lunchtiome presentation run by IEEE Ottawa and the Ottawa Centre IEE-UK: " Communications and Aids to Navigation at the Joint Arctic Weather Stations, A Retrospective covering 50 years".
Location: The Crowsnest, Naval Officer's Mess, 78 Lisgar St., Ottawa.
Date, time: Thursday 9 June, 2005, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - with a light lunch intermission.
Speaker: John Gilbert, formerly with Transport Canada, Communications Canada and IndustryCanada.
The talk will cover the facilities, operations and use of communications and aids to navigation at the five Joint Arctic Weather Stations (JAWS) with emphasis on 1957 - The International Geophysical Year (IGY).
The first part of the talk will provide an historical overview of communications and aids to navigation across Canada comparing the populated areas of Canada with the extreme isolation of the Arctic.
The second part of the talk will illustrate, through anecdotes and key events, the challenges of communications and navigation at the stations.
This brief retrospective of the communications and navigational activities of the JAWS in the 1957 provides a baseline against which to contrast the dramatic technological advances in these fields over the intervening 50 years.
John Gilbert held several senior positions with the Department of Communications from 1969-91. From 1972-75 he was a member of the Communications Technology Satellite Communications Experiments team where he became interested in the extension of communications services to remote and rural areas.
Please register with Hugh Reekie before 1st June - (h.reekie@ieee.org or 728-5343)
The presentation is in 2 parts - 11am - 11.50 a.m. and 1 - 2 p.m.
A light sandwich lunch will be served at noon, $5 for pre-registrants (IEEE & IEE members), $7 for pre-registrant non-members and $10 without reservations.
Cash Bar.
More details: http://members.allstream.net/~max-com/ottawa.AESS.html
D. Hugh M. Reekie 164 Bayswater Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 2G3, Canada ph 613-728-5343 fax 613-728-9143
email h.reekie@ieee.org or max-com@allstream.net
home page http://members.allstream.net/~max-com/HughReekie.html
Deaths:
Received from Don Ross
Friends,
We were saddened to learn today of the death of Jack Griffin last Monday, 9 May 2005. Jack was a radar operator during the Second World War and a longtime technologist at CRC with the Radio Physics Lab as it was then.
Jack is survived by his wife Eunice and their sons Michael, Daniel, Paul, John, Timothy, Brynle and their families. Jack and Eunice had a long and happy life together, although for the last eighteen years, Jack had suffered from PSP - progressive supernuclear palsy which affected his balance and eventually his voice. Until recently Jack was still able to to play chess, one of the pastimes enjoyed at RPL in earlier days.
The funeral will take place this Friday at 2 p.m. at the Middle Sackville Baptist Church, New Brunswick. Cremation will take place on Monday. Take note that interment will take place here in Kanata on Friday May 20 at 2 p.m., at St. John's Anglican Church, Sandhill Road (South March), next to the grave of their son Patrick, who met an untimely death in 1959.
Please let anyone know who may have known Jack.
Condolences may be sent to:
7 Squire Street, Sackville, N.B., E4L 4K8, Tel. (506) 364-1912.
Email: psgriff@nbnet.nb.ca
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.
[Note 18 May: The obituary appeared in the Ottawa Citizen dated 17 May 2005. -DR]
Death Notices (05/04/05) (Ottawa Citizen)
HARRISON, Norman Arthur Peacefully, at Central Park Lodge, Ottawa, on May 2, 2005, age 84, after a long battle with cancer and dementia. Devoted husband of Joyce for almost 59 years. Dad to David (Joan) and Jennifer (Kevin). Granddad to Peter (Wendy) and Libby (Phil). Great-Granddad to Ethan and Grace. After immigrating to Canada from England with Joyce and David in 1951, Norman became a pioneer in the Canadian space program, work which took him from Shirley's Bay, Ontario to Fort Churchill, Manitoba and Lompoc, California, and earned him a favourable mention in Time magazine for his resourceful use of fishing line to avert an unfortunate occurrence on the launch pad. After he retired in 1980, he and Joyce enjoyed their cottage on the Rideau Canal and extensive driving trips around North America. They lived in Ottawa's west end for many years, and moved to Central Park Lodge in 1998. Their family is profoundly grateful for the considerate, kind and professional care given to them by the staff there and by Dr. Lisa Cross. At Norman's request, there will be no funeral. If you wish to make a memorial donation, please consider the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology.
Thats all until next year. Have a good summer.
Jim Sawtell sawtell@igs.net Phone: 613 836-5795
