This post examines the growing role of amateur radio — commonly known as ham radio — in Canada’s emergency communications landscape.
Drawing on historical examples like the 1998 Quebec and Ontario ice storm and recent 2024 Yukon wildfire outages, the article explains why governments and communities are re-embracing resilient, low‑tech radio systems.
New investments and training programs are strengthening national and provincial disaster response.
Why amateur radio remains essential in Canadian disaster response
When modern telecommunications fail, amateur radio often provides the last reliable link between affected communities and emergency services.
Its simplicity, portability, and independence from centralized infrastructure make it uniquely suited to the geographic and climatic challenges found across Canada.
Lessons from past crises
1998 Quebec and Ontario ice storm: Amateur operators kept emergency channels open and helped families reconnect after massive power and telecom outages.
Their improvised networks passed lifesaving information and logistical coordination during days when conventional systems were silent.
2024 Yukon wildfires: More recently, Yukon hams re-established communication links almost immediately when internet, cellular, and landlines went offline.
For nearly a day, these operators enabled coordination of evacuations and relief efforts in remote terrain where every minute counts.
Policy shifts and investments across provinces
Recognizing the proven value of amateur radio, several provinces are integrating hams into official emergency plans and funding training, equipment, and deployments.
This is a deliberate move to build redundancy into critical communications.
Ontario, RAC, and targeted recruitment
Ontario recently allocated $545,000 to the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) to support a new Auxiliary Communications Service that will fund training, equipment and volunteer deployment.
RAC President Allan Boyd reports nearly 79,000 licensed operators in Canada, with about 5,000 RAC members — a pool from which front-line volunteers are being recruited and equipped.
Recruitment priorities emphasize northern and remote communities, and volunteers prepared to be flown into disaster zones with portable gear.
These efforts acknowledge that cellular towers and fiber are vulnerable in remote regions, and local rapid-response capacity can be life-saving.
Provincial programs and community readiness
Other provinces are following Ontario’s lead by formalizing amateur radio roles within emergency frameworks.
British Columbia, for example, has advanced a Provincial Emergency Radio Communications Service to train volunteers and encourage both First Nations and municipalities to establish backup amateur stations.
Practical benefits of on-the-ground radio networks
Amateur radio systems provide several operational advantages in crisis scenarios:
Where we go from here
With increasing frequency of extreme weather events, integrating amateur radio into emergency planning is a pragmatic investment in public safety.
Municipalities, Indigenous governments, and disaster planners should consider dedicated training, caches of portable equipment, and formal volunteer rosters to ensure rapid activation when conventional networks fail.
My experience of three decades in emergency communications confirms that amateur radio is not nostalgia — it is pragmatic redundancy.
Agencies that combine modern digital systems with trained amateur radio volunteers will be best positioned to maintain lifesaving communications when the unexpected occurs.
Here is the source article for this story: Provinces are making amateur radio operators an official part of extreme-weather planning