Canada on 5MHz - by Paul, G4MWO

Hi Petr and Joe,

Canadian amateurs were allowed at the beginning of April 2012 by their regulator, Industry Canada, to apply for special interim 5 MHz/60m. development licences under the VX9 callsign series. This provides for the same facilities accorded to US licensees. Following discussions with the Canadian national amateur radio society, RAC - Radio Amateurs of Canada and the implementation of the US FCC new 60m rules in March 2012, Industry Canada is to issue a consultation notice for Canadian radio amateurs in the government Canada Gazette. At the conclusion of this process Industry Canada intends to make general availability of 5 MHz/60m frequencies to all Canadian amateurs. In the meantime they invite amateurs to apply for a special interim 5 MHz/60m developmental licence in order to have the opportunity of gaining early access to these frequencies. ( Source:- RAC Bulletin 2012-021E - Update on 60 Metres )

An amateur holding the Basic + (with Honours) or the Advanced Certificate will be eligible for licensing on these frequencies.

First to be licensed was Russ Hemphill, VE3FI with the special callsign VX9GHD. Russ commented in QRZ.com "This band is badly needed for Emergency Communications, when conditions on 40 and 80 are not suitable for transmitting or receiving traffic."

Look for Russ and other new Canadian 60m Developmental licensees on the usual spotter sites and/or the 60m page of the Reverse Beacon Network http://www.reversebeacon.net/dxsd1.php?f=163

Stephen Arkell, VE3SHA, wrote to his local Industry Canada field office and got an official reply as to what the status is and current Canadian amateur 60m/5 MHz regulations are. He kindly re-posted that in QRZ.com, so I've copied it and attached it as a Word doc as it's rather long. The main thing is, though, that it basically follows the US criteria.

73

Paul Gaskell, G4MWO

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