ARCTIC NIGHTS

Opunake Times, 17 February 1939, Page 4

ARCTIC NIGHTS

THE WEEKLY RADIO

CANADA’S MESSAGE SYSTEM

Tire trapper or miner or mounted policeman, doctor and wile, nursing sister or missionary, who sits up on top of the world in the frozen Arctic during the long winter months is not nearly so isolated as most people would think. A few posts, of course, have communication with the outside b. aeroplane, but most of them have to wait until summer for regular mail and supplies to reach them. But the men and women area not alone, and any of their relatives or friends can send messages to them.

it is done by radio. Every Saturday night, from November to April, for an hour, the Canadian broadcast stations send out short letters to those sitting in snowdrifted huts or mushing along the trap lines. Saturday night is Arctic letter night on the Dominion'- radio stations from coast to coast. When traffic is heavy, as around Christmas time, an hour on Friday nights is also used. And just what a personal message . may mean to a prospector or fur trader in tindark wilderness of winter only those who have listened to the words coning out of the loud speaker can imagine.

The Saturday uight messages coiui from all parts of the world. Many of the northerners hail from Grea' Britain Distant relatives avail them selves of the service to keep in touvh with homey news from their isolated sons, nephews and friends ,From at. parts of the Dominion and many part:' of the United States messages flock 1" the central office at Ottawa for Sat

urday night transmission, over soum 30 Canadian broadcasting stations While the messages are limited i • length because of th© number which have to bo sent in an hour, they ar growing more numerous each year. Though the thousands of persona, messages go out into space to soui isolated white man or woman arouu whoso log cabin or frame house th Arctic snows are piled high most oi the messages get through, A rev cm check-up in the eastern Arctic, the remotest area of all, relying on annual supply ships, showed that out o; some 900 messages more than ha'f were heard perfectly and of the re mainder only 14 had not been picked up, with the rest imperfectly received.