Canadian amateur radio club offers to co-site city's radio system

Canada's Crowsnest Pass Amateur Radio Society and the municipality of Crowsnest Pass are looking to enter into a mutually beneficial radio site partnership. One that would improve emergency communications in the area.

Media reports say that the Amateur Radio club is seeking to transfer lease of their repeater site on Ironstone Mountain to the municipality. This, in order to allow a new city-owned emergency radio system to be located there.

The Amateur Radio Society operates the VE6CNP VHF repeater from a site on Ironstone Mountain leased to them by Sustainable Resource Development. In the deal currently being brokered by the municipality, the lease for the site would be transferred to the city. In return the radio club would continue operating its repeater at the location.

Currently, the municipality owned, two-way radio system is located at the Frank Slide Interpretive Center. According to club member Richard Reeves this is a location that isn't fulfilling the needs of the community and putting the people of the Pass at risk.

By comparison, the VE6CNP repeater has portable radio coverage throughout the entire area. By co-siteing the city's radio system on Ironstone Mountain, the coverage would be the same.

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is located in the South West corner in the Canadian Province of Alberta not far from the British Columbia border.

Source: ARNewsline