Canada’s Time Signal Station CHU Ottawa to Cease Shortwave Transmissions in June 2026.
On June 22, 2026 the National Research Council Canada, known as the NRC, will permanently discontinue the shortwave broadcasting operations of its official time signal station, CHU.
From that day forward, the familiar frequencies of 3330 kHz, 7850 kHz, and 14,670 kHz will fall silent. For the future, the NRC points matter - of factly to modern alternatives: the Network Time Protocol (NTP) for computers, web-based clocks, and the traditional telephone service.
The history of CHU stretches back an astonishingly long way to an era when radio itself was still in its infancy. It all began in 1923 under the aegis of the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa. The initial experimental broadcasts were transmitted under the call sign 9CC on the longwave band at 275 meters.
Anyone who has not yet sent a reception report to Ottawa should make use of the time remaining until June. The NRC has confirmed that valid reports will continue to be acknowledged with the traditional CHU QSL card. Fittingly, the card features an image of Sir Sandford Fleming, the Canadian railway engineer and "father of worldwide time zones".
Reception reports may be sent via email or, in the classic tradition, via postal mail to:
Radio Station CHU, 1200 Montreal Road, Building M-36, Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 0R6, Canada, North America.
Email: radio.chu@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
A comprehensive report on this topic, including further details, can be found on the DARC website. www.darc.de
(DARC Deutschland-Rundspruch 21/2026, May 28)
(WWDXC-Top News 1656)
