We are pleased to announce the start of membership intake for AMSAT Canada (AMSAT-CA), formed on November 12, 2023 as the 28th affiliate of the global Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.
Since 1969, AMSAT has brought together space enthusiasts and radio operators worldwide. AMSAT Canada joins this global community with a dedicated mission: to promote, develop, and support Canadian Amateur radio in space.
Are you interested in acting as a Net Control Station (NCS) for any of the IRG Nets? We have some current vacancies for regulars and spares, and would like to hear from volunteers willing to help out!
As a NCS, you moderate and control the flow of the net. Some nets are social and less formal; some nets, such as emergency practice nets, are more structured. Some nets may be more your style than others. In any case, there are helpful guides and training available, including on the IRG web site, and we have many experienced NCS who can give you some hints and support.
Although most NCS are in a regular scheduled rotation, we are always flexible, willing and able to work around changes you may require throughout the year.
If you are interested in volunteering as a Net Control Station on any of the nets, or want more information, please reply using our Contact Form. We really do appreciate your help!
Here are the nets and our current needs. You can get more details of the IRG nets on this page.
| Net | Current Need | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| IRG Sunday Night Net (Sundays at 9:00 pm) |
Looking for future regular and spare NCS | NCS rotation: Once per month on 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Sunday; or on the 5th Sunday of certain months. |
| Tuesday Night IRG Net (Tuesdays at 9:00 pm) |
Current opening for a regular NCS | NCS rotation: Once every three weeks. |
| EMCOM Net (Thursdays at 9:00 pm) |
Looking for future regular and spare NCS | NCS rotation: Once per month on 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Thursday, or on the 5th Thursday of certain months. |
| IRG Weather Net (Daily November to April at 7:30 am) |
Current opening for a regular NCS | NCS rotation: Flexible or regular, subject to preference and availability. Training will be provided; spreadsheet form is used for report. |
| CANWARN Net (as required on short notice) |
Current openings for 2 or more NCS | NCS rotation: Irregular, depends on event, location and availability. Training will be provided; spreadsheet form is used for report. |
Canada is on track for a historic tornado season, both when it comes to funnel clouds making land fall, and the number of warnings sent out to Canadians. Dave Sills of the Northern Tornado Project explains what's causing the summer storms, and what needs to change to make tracking them more accurate.
Update: Thanks to Dr. Brent Petersen (VE9EX) for the presentation at the May 3 IRG meeting in Doaktown. The slides from the presentation are now available here.
(GNB 2026-04-08) – New Brunswick has launched wildfire season early this year due to concerns related to record-low precipitation levels, a lack of snow, and prolonged drought conditions.
New Brunswickers can now check the Fire Watch page or the wildfire dashboard for the latest information on burn notices and fire conditions. The dashboard is updated at 2 p.m. each day throughout the season.
(GNB News - March 11, 2026) During the coming weeks, teams from the Department of Environment and Local Government and the Department of Justice and Public Safety will closely monitor river ice and snowmelt near waterways, particularly in the Saint John River basin. Agencies from federal, provincial and United States governments will assist in this effort, as will partners such as NB Power and local watershed groups.
Read more at:
Many say the "middle of winter" is on Groundhog Day (February 2). In 2026, the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox fell on February 3. But why quibble over one day, it's all good weather from there, right? Not so fast...
Aubrey Urquhart (VE1OL) of Quispamsis became "Silent Key" on February 10, 2026, at the age of 92, with 79 years of amateur radio qualification, having made numerous friends on the air over the years. He was active in almost every mode of radio that came along, always embracing new technology to keep in touch with all his friends.
We're pleased to announce that the IRG web site software version has been updated to meet current security standards, and will allow better operation and new features to be added.
For now, most of the site is unchanged. Some old pages, features or images may not look quite the way they did before, but let us know if anything is not working right. Use our Contact form to report it.
One priority issue has been resolved: users with @gmail.com addresses who had problems using some features should now find those issues fixed.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individual from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification. [See links at bottom of article].
The course will again be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.