The Friends of CRC are invited to the Annual Christmas Dinner at CRC. Spouses and Partners are encouraged to attend. We have reserved the Private Dining Room so that we may get together and chat. Please let us know that you will be attending by calling 990-6673 and leaving a message with your name and how many will be coming by December 5, 2007.

Those with e-mail addresses will be advised as to the Date and prices for each of the above menus. We are not advised in time to put this information into the News Letter. If you do not have e-mail and wish to come please phone 990-6673 and leave your name and number of people attending.

Established May 30, 2005, Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame is a not for profit organization with a mission to promote and celebrate the rich history of the telecommunications industry in Canada. The Hall of Fame fulfills its mission through two principal programs: The Telecom Laureate Program and the Education and Outreach Program, which serves to promote the historical legacy of success of Canadian telecommunications and encourages Canadian youth to choose the industry as a fulfilling career choice.

CRC President, Dr. Veena Rawat, received the award on behalf of CRC. The award, a handsome model of an antique upright telephone finished in gold, will be prominently displayed at CRC.

The citation read:
CRC is the Canadian government’s primary laboratory for research and development in advanced telecommunications. R&D is used for public policy purposes and to strengthen the Canadian economy through technology and knowledge transfer. Under its four research branches (Terrestrial Wireless, Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation Research, Broadband Network Technologies and Broadcast Technology), CRC specializes in taking an interdisciplinary approach to longer-term R&D in wireless systems, radio fundamentals, communication networks, photonics and interactive multimedia.

A large contingent of CRC, DOC and Dept. of Industry personnel attended the gala to celebrate the occasion.

Submitted by Doris Jelly

Following the designation earlier this year of the Alouette 1 program by the Hon. John Baird, P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment, as an event of national historic significance, Friends along with Louise Guay, Director of Communications and Promotion representing CRC, met with the Parks Canada National Historic Sites Program Manager. Parks Canada administers the designation program, prepares the draft text for a commemorative plaque and recommends its location. Originally this had been “the campus of the Communications Research Centre on Shirleys Bay in Ottawa” but the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, which has the final say upon the plaque text and its location, has asked that Parks Canada examine “possible locations that would have more public visibility”. We like to think that the CRC site remains the prime contender and to this end Louise Guay and her staff have prepared a site proposal. This has been shared with the Parks Canada Program Manager and with a representative of the National Capital Commission with whom there has also been a meeting. At that time three possible locations on the lawns adjacent to Carling Avenue and to the west of the driveway into CRC were considered. The chosen location and site plan for Parks Canada consideration will be determined by CRC and the NCC, depending upon the location of underground services and taking into account any future widening of Carling Avenue, all three locations being equally acceptable from a viewing point of view. We will keep you posted as things develop.

Submitted by Graham Booth

Thanks are due all those who responded to my request for news of any Alouette 1 structural drawings that might happen to be amongst their keepsakes. This was in response to a request from a museum in Toulouse, France, that wished to include a model of Alouette among its exhibits. This led to some novel suggestions and suggestions of other possible sources. The latest is that Doris Jelly and I finally tracked down a half scale drawing dated 1966 of what turned out to be for a full scale wooden model, in the Archives in Gatineau. Harry Kowalik deserves special mention for coming closest in suggesting that we might find drawings in the Model Shop as he recalled Leo Fournier built at least one wooden model! News has just been received that the Archives is bringing in a further 500 drawings from their Renfrew facility for our examination. These are reputed to be of CTS Hermes although dated from 1959 onwards, this seems to indicate that some Alouette drawings could be included. Please let me (Graham Booth) know at gandkb002h@sympatico.ca if anyone I have not approached personally has any further news or suggestions.

Submitted by Graham Booth

An alert volunteer at the Toronto Aerospace Museum which occupies space in the old de Haviland building where we performed the Alouette antenna extension and centrifuge tests, has brought to Friends attention claims by museum authorities that Alouette was designed and built at de Haviland and the fact that it was a product of DRTE is a “myth”. Despite strenuous protestations by a number of our eminent space pioneers including then employees of de Havilland, the museum authorities remain unmoved. We have to thank David Johnson, the son of Stu Johnson who was superintendent of EL at the time, for raising this issue. Needless to say, he no longer volunteers at the museum. Comparisons have been made to the flat earth syndrome and claims that the US never landed on the moon!

Submitted by Graham Booth

My father asked me to write to you and ask that mom's death be included in your friends of crc newsletter. My father (Gorin Bree) receives the newletter, retiring from CRC in October of 1988. My mother Myra Cain worked for CRC (but it was DRTE then) from approx 1955 - 1959.
My mother's obituary is enclosed. Thank you very much for your consideration in this matter.
Thank You
Karen Lalonde