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Brian VE6BCA silent key
Jul 13th
Brian Crisall
Sept 8, 1954 to Jul 8, 2026, age 71, Silent Key.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Brian Crisall. Brian unexpectedly passed away in his home. All who knew Brian could see each year progressively took its toll, and these last years really began to sap his strength. Brian passed away after rising early to host a weekly Ham Radio net. The coffee was made; it wasn’t consumed.
Brian was the first child to Robert (Bob) and Patricia (Pat) Crisall. Born while Bob, a member of the RCMP, was posted to the Waskesui, Saskatchewan detachment, Brian was soon joined by sister Robyn and later joined by brothers Tim and Don. Growing up as a ‘cop’s kid’, Brian moved many times with his most formative early childhood memories coming from Prince Albert and Smeaton, Saskatchewan. Bob’s last RCMP post was to Val Marie, Saskatchewan, and this was the place that Brian chose as ‘home’. Brian was from Val Marie.
As a child, Brian was diagnosed with scoliosis which deeply affected him throughout his life, most harshly in his later years. Besides the signature curved spine, Brian also experienced growing loss of feeling in his right hand. Brian endured two operations in his youth spending months laying in a full body cast. Neither of the operations were particularly successful, and they arguably left him in worse shape.
When Bob retired from the RCMP and moved the family to Edmonton, Alberta, Brian continued on in Val Marie where he worked at Legault’s Service Station. While performing this work, Brian’s situation continued to worsen and he eventually had to abandon the tools due to a workplace injury related to the loss of feeling in his right side. Brian moved on to operate a SGI insurance agency where too many office hours in the Val Marie bar were not the recipe for success.
Brian moved to Edmonton where he struggled with alcohol dependency until he found new purpose through the discovery of Ham Radio and his introduction to a strange new thing called the Internet. As Brian’s mobility continually decreased, his circle of contacts and friends increased. As the Internet developed, Brian depended on his computer as much as his radios to keep him occupied and to communicate; probably everyone who knew Brian would have seen at least one of his Photoshop pieces whether it be colorizing, touchup and repair, or his favorite cars as he remembered them.
Brian is survived by his brother Tim (Stefanie) and niece Morgan and brother Don (Deborah). He was pre-deceased by his parents Bob and Pat and sister Robyn. Brian leaves behind several long time friends whose visits and friendship he came to depend on.
Within Ham Radio, when an operator passes away, they become a Silent Key.
In lieu of any flowers or tokens, please consider a donation to any charity that helps with the struggles of the disabled and/or those with substance dependencies.
73, VE6BCA
CAARC 2026 Field Day is almost here!
Jun 16th
Be Radio Active – Please plan on Attending the 2026 CAARC Field Day June 26th – 28th at the Hillcrest Community Hall west of Bowden
Bookmark this site for more information as Field Day approaches.
Your CAARC executive is currently conducting extensive planning for ARRL Field Day operations.
We invite all CAARC members and interested parties to attend and participate.
CAARC plans to have two (2) fully operational HF stations and MAYBE a VHF station dedicated for this ARRL contest.
The Hillcrest Community Hall venue location is excellent, within a short drive from Red Deer and has onsite camping and facilities available.
Thank you for your continued support of CAARC.
We look forward to seeing you at this event.
Click this link for driving directions
73
Sandy VE6SND
CAARC President
We need volunteers to operate each of the two HF stations for the following 2 hour time slots. Click the link below to see the times available that have open operator time slots. We need 2 operators for each of the 2 stations for each time slot.
Saturday June 27
June 27 1200 -1400 h VE6CIA Garry
June 27 1400 – 1600 h VE6BLD Bob
June 27 1600 – 1800 h VA6SGL Stephen
June 27 1800 – 2000 h VE6TIP Tiny VA6SGL Stephen
June 27 2000 – 2200 h VA6MPM Paul VA6SGL Stephen
June 27 2200 – 2400 h VA6SGL Stephen
Sunday
June 28 0000 – 0200 h VA6SGL Stephen
June 28 0200 – 0400 h VA6SGL Stephen
June 28 0400 – 0600 h VA6SGL Stephen
June 28 0600 – 0800 h VA6SGL Stephen
June 28 0800 – 1000 h
June 28 1000 – 1200 h VE6WCE Gerald
PLEASE ONLY CHECK A MAXIMUM OF 2 TIMES YOU ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR SO WE CAN POST AN OPERATOR SCHEDULE ON THE WEB PAGE AS TO WHAT TIMES ARE STILL AVAILABLE. Thank you.
Your participation is appreciated to help make our Field Day a success!
Please click this link to fill in the Goggle Form to volunteer your help operating a station for two hours at a time to make this years Field Day a success once again!
Thanks in advance for your help to make this Field Day a success!
73 from your CAARC Executive
The next CAARC General meeting
May 12th
CAARC Membership
NOTICE
The CAARC next General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May, 20 at 19:30 hours.
Meet after 19:00 hours at the Calder School at Sunnybrook Farm 2879 Botterill Crescent .
The Calder School entrance is behind Sims Furniture just north of the Bower mall at the south end of Red Deer.
We have a number of things to discuss for the upcoming year
The gates will be open at 1900 hrs.
RAC Advanced Qualification Course for Maple Leaf Operators
Mar 25th
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QCARC Flea Market and AGM
Mar 24th
AGM, spring social and flea market: April 25, 2026
The Annual General Meeting of the Quarter Century Amateur Radio Club will be held at the High Park Community League Hall at 11032 154 Street NW in Edmonton.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT OUR REGULAR FLEA MARKET OR MEETING LOCATION. Our regular location is under renovation and is not available to us. The AGM will be held from 11:00 AM to noon. The meeting, as in past years, will be held after the flea market.
A reminder that memberships expire on April 30 so we will be accepting memberships at this event.
The schedule for the day is a bit different than usual due to the change in venue:
- 0900 – 1100: Doors open for vendor set up, flea market and social
- 1100 – 1200: AGM
Radio World has generously provided two gift certificates in the amounts of $100 and $50 that will be door prizes for this event. We are fortunate and grateful to have such generous sponsorship of our club events. A big thank you to Radio World and all their staff!
If you want a table at the flea market please contact Neil, VE6TCK/VE6JW, at 780-818-1975 or VE6TCK@gmail.com to reserve one. Tables will be limited at this location.
Please contact any member of executive with any questions you may have.
Radio install workshop
Mar 16th
The mobile radio installation workshop will be at Tiny VE6TIP’s place Saturday March 21, 2026 at 1:00 pm.
We will be demonstrating how to install a mobile radio in different vehicles. If you are interested in putting a radio in your car but need a few pointers, this is the event for you!
Please park over by Tiny’s workshop (the south driveway) and bring a lawn chair. There will be coffee and treats.
Contact any club member on VE6QE for location details.













