Manitoulin and North Shore
Made plans for upcoming ARES training course for new amateurs processed on Manitoulin Island last year. This course will also include an update for established ARES members and is to be held the end of April /early May (awaiting on confirmation of classroom).
Unfortunately we lost a great ARES supporter and a valuable AEC. Jack Carmichael, VA3JKC became a silent key on February 5, 2008.
Sudbury
We had an ARES membership meeting during which we discussed the following topics among others: ARES ID during Public Service Events (traffic vests and/or shirts with ARES crest, signage at stations), testing and training on the amateur station at the Sudbury EOC, NVIS antenna, CEC program and OPN coverage.
CANWARN Storm Spotter Training Session - Greater Sudbury Spring 2008
CANWARN is a volunteer group of individuals across Ontario who provide real-time observations of severe weather to Environment Canada's Ontario Storm Prediction Centre in Toronto. These observations play an integral role in Environment Canada's severe weather watch and warning program, in some cases prompting the upgrade of a watch to a warning or adding valuable information concerning the damage potential with a particular storm. This information can also be instrumental in providing longer lead times on severe events that allow communities more time to better prepare themselves. A number of training sessions are held each spring across Ontario to refresh existing CANWARN members on spotting severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and to introduce new volunteers on what to watch for in the sky and what to report to the Weather Centre through a special, unlisted 1-800 reporting line.
A very successful CANWARN training session was held in the Greater Sudbury area last April attended by members from the Parry Sound, North Bay, Greater Sudbury, Manitoulin Island and Sault Ste. Marie areas. In order to keep the CANWARN program vibrant and growing, Environment Canada has made an effort in the last couple of years to encourage members of Provincial Government Ministries, Municipal and Regional governments, Non-Governmental Organizations and other volunteer organizations to become CANWARN members. Recent training has been done with a branch of the Canadian Red Cross as well as the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association.
For more information on the program, please don't hesitate to contact Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Geoff Coulson with Environment Canada. Geoff can be reached by e-mail at geoff.coulson@ec.gc.ca or by phone at (416) 739-4466.
"There is no cost associated with this training.
Manitoulin and North Shore
Plans for this year's Field Day events have been finalized and posted on the club's website www.manitoulinradio.org. This year a number of amateurs from the club with portable generators will gather on McLean's Mountain just outside of Little Current to participate starting at 1800 UTC Saturday June 28, and ending 2100 UTC on Sunday June 29. Many of the new amateurs from last year's radio course were contacted and invited to join us. Some have taken up the invitation.
Sudbury
Nothing to report
Emergency Coordinator’s Report for April, 2008
One of the responsibilities of the position of Emergency Coordinator includes submitting monthly activity reports for his/her area of jurisdiction. The following report was submitted for April. Included is a note from the District Emergency Coordinator.
Sudbury
Sudbury ARES held an orientation session at the Sudbury EOC’s Amateur station for a number of its members.
René Dault, VA3RFD, an active member of both the Sudbury ARC and Sudbury ARES, became a Silent Key.
Chapleau
Chapleau CASARA (Civil Air Search and Rescue Assoc.) has folded. Lack of pilots available for training and searches is the main reason. This leaves Chapleau with no organized volunteer emergency group. I have talked to a few of the members and some may be interested in getting licenced, and in ARES, and I have given them some of my "HAM" books to check out, and pointed them in the direction of the RAC website.
A "free to take away tower, and 50 meg antenna" may be donated to the local ARES group, from another source. As soon as I find Andy (moving up from Sudbury) there may be more members, and hopefully a strong back. I have put together a portable HF Station (rig, tuner, 2 dipoles, power supply and battery) to be used at the Township’s local Emergency Operations Center. The plan is to store it in a waterproof "go box" on site. One antenna will be installed on the roof and one will stay in the box. The layout of the community has a rail line running right through it, with a rail yard exactly in the middle of town, and one block from the EOC. I think it best to have the station somewhat portable as the EOC may itself have to change locations in a hurry. When I get together with Andy I plan to do an onsite demonstration to the interested parties.
Les Arnott, VE3UCW
Miscellaneous
–Stiig VE3LBX