SUBMITTED by SSIARS
Members of the Salt Spring Island Amateur Radio Society (SSIARS) will participate in Field Day 2025, North America’s largest emergency communication exercise, on the June 28-29 weekend.
The public is invited to visit during the open house on Saturday, June 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Rod and Gun Club on Long Harbour Road.
Field Day is a 24-hour national event coordinated by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), where thousands of amateur radio operators across Canada and the United States practise setting up field-deployable communication stations that can operate entirely off the grid, using radios, antennas, batteries and generators.
“This is more than a contest,” said SSIARS treasurer Andrea Goodman. “It’s a chance to demonstrate how amateur radio can provide reliable communication when modern infrastructure fails — whether during storms, wildfires or other emergencies.”
Visitors to the event will be able to see:
• Live amateur radio contacts in progress across North America;
• Portable equipment powered by alternative energy;
• Digital modes, Morse code and voice transmissions;
• Volunteers explaining how amateur radio supports emergency response on Salt Spring Island.
SSIARS members often assist with communications for local public events and collaborate with the island’s search and rescue group and other emergency responders. Field Day is an opportunity to see these capabilities in action and learn how anyone can get involved in amateur radio.
Admission to the June 28 event is free, and all ages are welcome.
For more information, visit ssiarc.ca or email Goodman at treasurer@ssiarc.ca.