LARC Opens its Club Station at SORM

We're thrilled to announce our partnership with the London Amateur Radio Club, who have opened up their club station at our museum.  VE3LS is on the air !  They are typically on-site Saturdays during our open hours, and they'll be running their autumn radio course in our lounge this coming autumn.  Stay tuned for news.  We celebrated their club's official opening on May 18th, at which many long-time SoRM friends and LARC members were treated to museum tours, sunshine, barbecue, and cake.  It was a great day.

View fullsize

Corbin Lippert (foreground), SORM's London Amateur Radio Club representative on the Board, with friends in the 'Clinton Room' during the LARC grand opening event, May 18, 2015.

In Memorium

I would like to take this opportunity to note the passing of two of SORM's founding members.  On December 5, 2014, Edna Simpson passed away.  Edna came to Canada as a war bride having met Doug while they both worked on radar, serving in the RAF. In later years, she became very involved in the War Brides organisation and could be seen at events singing, “Till we meet again” with fellow war brides.  More recently, Horace "Red" Macaulay passed away on April 8, 2015.  Red had a Distinguished Military Service during World War II as a pioneer in radar training and maintenance at Mt Allison University, NB and overseas with the RAF and 406 Squadron of the RCAF. Post-war service in the military included many technical assignments with NORAD radar systems and with NATO as the Wing Telecommunications Officer at Zweibrucken, West Germany.  Both Edna and Red contributed significantly to SORM's permanent collection through artefact donations, photographs, reference material, and interviews.  Their presence will be sorely missed.

Secrets & Mysteries Summer Day Camp!

We're thrilled to announce that we'll be running Summer Day Camp in August, 2014!

Our camp has been developed to focus on science and nature, and highlighting the creative and experimental exploration of the world around us.  It is this same spirit of experimentation in early radio and television that led to the invention of radar prior to WWII, and which continued through the 20th century to become part of our daily lives.

We have two week-long sessions for your inquisitive kids, aged 10-14: August 4-8, and August 11-15, from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. 

More information>

Road Construction

Stock photo.  Not representative. 

There's a joke we tell in Canada:  we have two seasons-- winter and construction.  And so it goes.  Every year, here in London, beginning in mid-April and lasting through November, the city becomes mired in road work.  Sometimes road construction pops up with no warning and you have to find a new way to get to work.

Well, this year, we at the Secrets of Radar Museum get the equivalent of the backhoe parked at the end of the street.  As of today, May 5th, Western Counties Road, which is the main access used to enter the Westminster Ponds ESA where we're located, is closed for construction.  There is an alternate entrance to Parkwood Hospital and the Ponds (and therefore the Museum, as well) closer to Wellington off Commissioners.  There may also be an entrance off of Wellington, just north of the Tourism London office, but we recommend the alternate Commissioner's entrance.

From the City of London website:

WESTERN COUNTIES RD (PVT) between COMMISSIONERS RD E and HARMONY RD (PVT)
Start date:2014-05-05 6AM
End date:2014-07-31 5PM
Category:Private / Utility
Impact(s):Closed
Notes:Contractor will do own signage

427 Wing hosts Valentine's Dance & Family Day at Secrets of Radar

Looking for something a little different to do this weekend?  Our friends at the 427 Wing are hosting a Valentine's Dance on Saturday, February 15, 8P.M. to 12A.M. at the Wing, 2155 Crumlin Side Road, London, Ontario.  Contact Joan or Jack at jackjoanc (at) gmail (dot) com for tickets.

And, don't forget, this Monday, February 17, 10A.M.-4P.M., we're hosting our Family Day Open House out here at Secrets of Radar.  If you're planning to enjoy some outdoor winter fun in the Westminster Ponds, behind Parkwood Hospital, come in and warm up with us!  Coffee, "radar popcorn" and tours beginning at 10 o'clock.

Looking for something to do this Family Day?

Family Day Open House

Monday, February 17, 2014 from 10 am – 4 pm

London, ON - The Secrets of Radar Museum will be hosting a special Family Day Open House on Monday February 17, from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.

Taking advantage of the trails around Westminster Ponds this Family Day? Drop by the Secrets of Radar Museum and warm up with us. Hot refreshments and “radar popcorn” will be available for purchase as well as free tours of the museum’s permanent exhibits.

Happy Holidays

Thank you to our visitors, donors, and supporters!  All the best for the coming year.

Honouring people and organisations that make London a better place

We are thrilled that Manager Maya and SoRM were selected as a recipient of this year's Vital People Award, granted by the London Community Foundation.  She is in good company among some truly committed Londoners.  The grant will enable her to pursue Project Management at Western's School of Continuing Studies. 

The awards ceremony was held in the early evening on Monday, December 2nd at the Goodwill Centre.  It was a very well attended event with members of London's many communities and organisations present.  The event was short and sweet, well produced, and truly made the recipients feel valued and honoured.  And, following the celebration, many guests wandered into the bright, spacious Goodwill Store downstairs for a bit of a browse (because who doesn't love a bargain?!). 

You can learn more about the individual recipients here, and the London Community Foundation here.  We encourage you to donate to this excellent organisation, if you have the means, as they support many initiatives around London.

Come see our new arrival: H2X !

On Sunday, we welcomed the newest member of our tech family, a complete H2X airborne, ground-scanning radar set.  Rob and Linda Adams brought the unit to us from the Ottawa Radar Group, which organised its transfer from the private collection of David Barlow to us.  We have put the unit on display in our Technology Room, and expect to have a plaque produced, early in the new year, thanking the donor and those who made its delivery possible.  Click here to learn more about the H2X.  Thank you very much to the donor, Mr. Barlow, and to radar veterans Julien Olsen and Ken Shoultz for organising the transport of this unique piece of WW2 history.

View fullsize

Rob and Linda Adams with the H2X.  Linda is the daughter of Ken Shoultz, WW2 radar veteran with the Ottawa Radar Group.

Remembrance Day

We here at SoRM never forget the sacrifices our veterans have made, but Remembrance Day is something very special.  On the 11th day of the 11th month, we see the men and women who served standing together and we can see the lines etched in the faces of those who served during World War Two. 

Radar was a new technology in 1939 and the men and women who worked with it were pioneers in the field.  There are fewer and fewer WW2 radar veterans with us each year.  If it wasn't fresh in our minds before, we lost a beloved member of our community, Ed Morgan, just on November 1st.  We are reminded that these people, not so different from me and you, led deep and meaningful lives, were brave in the face of adversity, and though now advanced in age, once they were strong and firm, vibrant members of their communities, both military and civilian.

Today, two different WW2 radar veterans visited us.  We were happy to host Hilda, a WAAF who served as a radar operator in England, her grand daughter and four great-grand sons.  John Tevlin, who came with his son, served his whole WW2 radar career with the night fighters.

We humbly thank Hilda and John for their service and wish them all the best, as we do for all veterans, old and young.

Hilda is surrounded by her family, attentively listening to one of our volunteers talking about wavelengths.  

Our volunteer and WW2 veteran Roy Taylor stands with another visiting radar veteran, John Tevlin.