From correspondence with Joe

Laval January 2006

Hi Laval:

I hail from Antigonish, Nova Scotia and in 1962 joined the RCN at age 19.  After basic training in Cornwallis, I was made a Sonarman against my objections and was posted to HMCS Fort Erie which was in dry dock in the Dartmouth slips and went absolutely nowhere except to work-ups in and around St. Margaret's Bay near Halifax. 

I made THREE separate requests for a transfer to radio and while each was recommended by the CO's of Fort Erie, the Commodore's office refused, so I had to resort to political means through my MP.  I was successful and ended up back in Cornwallis at the radio school. [Where I got my first HAM ticket].

After getting out of the radio school, I was posted to HMCS Cape Scott in Halifax and just before the ship left for Easter Island, I was transferred to HMCS Granby - the diving tender in Dartmouth and served on short runs in two of the YMT diving tenders.  While on HMCS Granby I worked - for a short time with Neil Parent who later joined DOC.  Neil was a Leading Seaman at the time.  I think Neil wound up in the Saint John DOC office as I recall.

In 1966, I requested a release from the Navy and was again refused - once again I requested the intervention of my MP who actually went to Paul Hellier, then Minister of National Defence, and I was released after yet another Ministerial Inquiry.  [I actually had lunch with my MP and Mr. Hellier in the Parliamentary dining room - an experience that was quite unique for a young fellow like me]. 

I had won a competition with the Department of External Affairs and subsequently moved to Ottawa (East Block on Parliament Hill) as a Communicator.  In March 1967 I was posted to New Delhi, India and in 1968 cross-posted to the Embassy in Washington DC. 

While at Cornwallis I got my ham ticket as VE1AHC, and in India as VU2AHC.  In Washington I was VE1AHC/W3 in Chevy Chase, Maryland just outside Washington DC. 

In January 1970 I came back to Canada and worked for External Affairs until December when I won a competition to work as an Administrative Officer in the Department of Communications.  One of the interviewers was none other than Cecil Kenny, who was then Head of Radio Regulations under Al Hewitt (another ex-RCMP Marine Communicator - now living near Toronto.  He in turn worked for a Ted Argue who reported to the Director General, none other than our own Bill Wilson - VE3NR I believe.

Later on I worked with Michel Milot in Emergency Telecommunications and was involved in quite a bit of planning in relation to the BC Earthquake Plan and on the NATO CCPC circuit.

Just as an aside, the reference to Henry Klain at Swissair was interesting because I was the fellow who applied for the licence for the UHF repeater and portables which Henry authorized.  I still volunteer for Red Cross and was there just hours after Swissair 111 crashed into the Atlantic.  Some of my accounts of that night can still be found on the internet if you enter my name (Joe MacPherson). 

In any case, BRAVO for the excellent web page . . . I will read through EVERY bit of it.

Thanks for the opportunity to fill in these few details.

Cheers

Joe MacPherson, VE1CH
Shad Bay, N.S. (near Peggy's Cove)

January 2006

Update:  Joe moved from Shad Bay to Halifax in 2015. He now lives not far from my QTH in Clayton Park West.... We are almost neighbours...

Donald Courcy, Webmaster...26 March 2017

Links   -   Liens

Field Day - June 27,  1992  -  The Minister On The Air

John Kluver's Comments

Commentaires de John Kluver

Comments from Michel Milot

Michel Milot's Comments