There is a fresh voice on the Ottawa airwaves! Launched this past March, the Signal Sisters (Les Sœurs du Signal) is a newly formed bilingual Amateur Radio group dedicated to connecting and supporting local women, girls, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the hobby. While our primary focus is on encouraging women and girls to get involved, we are a fully inclusive space that warmly welcomes everyone who wants to support a diverse and welcoming radio community.
What started as a small idea has quickly grown into a wonderful, supportive network. We now regularly meet, get on-the-air and support each other in the hobby.
Where to Find Us
- Signal Sisters (Les Sœurs du Signal) Monthly Meetings: We gather in person at the Ottawa IKEA restaurant to chat, share advice, and plan our next moves over coffee.
- Weekly Signal Sisters (Les Sœurs du Signal) Net: Every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. on the VE2CRA repeater. For this weekly net, we affectionately call ourselves the 33 Coffee Klatch! It is a fantastic, low-pressure way to practice your radio skills.
- Our goal is to rotate the net control operations, so anyone interested in running a net or learning how is encouraged to let us know so we can schedule you in. If you want to take it slow, we can easily arrange a co-pilot setup where you sit in with someone else to assist them—or have them assist you—for your first time. We want you to do whatever makes you feel most comfortable!
Weathering the Storm on Canada Day
We jumped into our first Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Canada Day Contest as a group, operating from the Scouts Canada National Headquarters under the call sign VE3SHQ. This incredible opportunity came together thanks to Thane Brown, who suggested the idea and coordinated all the logistics for our visit. We extend a huge thank you to Thane for his help, and to Scouts Canada for generously allowing us the use of their fantastic facilities!
The station was fully equipped for us, and we made excellent use of their two Icom IC-7300 transceivers as well as a VHF rig that was left for our group to use. For a few of our members, stepping up to the microphone for a voice contest was a brand-new experience. Navigating the fast-paced nature of a phone contest brings a unique rush of nerves and excitement, but everyone handled it like a pro!
We started operating at 10:00 a.m. and powered through until about 2:30 p.m., when a massive electrical storm and heavy torrential rains forced us to shut down due to flooding in parts of Ottawa. Not to be discouraged, we fired back up around 4:00 p.m. and stayed on the air for another half hour until the storm blew back in, at which point we decided to call it a day.
Despite only operating for a few hours and fighting the severe elements, we managed to rack up 40 contacts and a ton of new confidence at the mic!
While the weather raged outside, we didn’t let it slow our spirits down. We had an absolute feast inside; chit-chatting and sharing the excitement of our very first Canada Day together.
A big thank you to the incredible crew who came out to operate, laugh, and celebrate:
- Brenda Butler, VA3HNB
- Sandra Fraser, VA3HYK
- Monique Frigault, VA3NTB
- Natalie Levasseur, VE3IBX
- Eve Mister, VE3QEV
- Michelle Tribe, VA3PZA
We also made sure to document the day with plenty of pictures. Ross (VE3HYK) captured our main group photo outside in front of the iconic totem pole. Meanwhile, Brenda, Sandra, and Monique had a second fun picture taken by Ross indoors, posing right behind the museum’s unique showcase piece: a massive display model representing the world’s largest cup of hot chocolate!
Overcoming Technical Glitches (With a Little Help!)
Amateur Radio is always a learning experience, and sometimes it comes with a bit of drama! This past Thursday, our scheduled weekly net had to be canceled. Monique (VA3NTB) experienced some unexpected radio issues when a power cable started sparking. Prioritizing safety, we decided to drop the mic for the night.
Equipment hiccups are just part of the hobby, but the local radio community quickly came to the rescue. The very next morning, Monique brought the faulty cable to a Friday morning coffee drop-in, hoping to find a nearby shop for a replacement. Instead, Norm (VE3LC) volunteered to fix it on the spot. The repair was completed at the “low, low cost” of Monique and her son now having to sign up for an OVMRC membership! We are incredibly grateful for the camaraderie and support from our allies.
What’s Next
We are not letting a little rain or a few sparks slow us down. This coming Monday, we are heading out for our next attempt at a POTA (Parks on the Air) activation after our last attempt was rained out. Whether you are a seasoned operator, a newly certified ham, or just curious about the hobby, we would love to have you join us.
Connect With Us!
Whether you’re studying for your certificate, recently earned your call sign, have been certified for years, or are curious about Amateur Radio and are looking for a low-pressure, supportive space, we would love to hear from you! You can request to join our group email distribution list or get access to our dedicated women and girls’ section on the club Discord channel. Drop us a line at YL@OVMRC.CA to get connected.
Photos from Canada Day courtesy of Ross VE3HYK
Last Updated on 2026-08-07 by Eve