[HCDX] Historic time-signal pole facing the axe

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CBC News - CBC News: Historic time-signal pole facing the axe


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Historic time-signal pole facing the axe
Last Updated Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:39:29 EDT
CBC News
A simple wooden pole linked to the longest-running feature on CBC Radio, the 
1 p.m. time signal from the National Research Council, seems about to vanish 
from an Ottawa neighbourhood over safety concerns.
RELATED: The Beginning of the Long Dash
Standing taller than the trees that surround it, the pole is located on what 
used to be the west-end Ottawa property of J.P. Henderson. He was an 
astronomer at the Dominion Observatory.
Although an astronomer, Henderson did a lot of experimenting with radio and 
was one of Ontario's first ham radio operators. At his home on Perth Street, 
Henderson put up a pole for his antenna from which he broadcast, among other 
things, a time signal.
That was more than a decade before the Canadian Radio Broadcasting 
Commission was created in 1933 (it was renamed as the Canadian Broadcasting 
Corporation in 1936). The time signal has been heard every day on CBC since 
1939, except during the recent eight week lock-out.
Henderson "would almost certainly have done all of that work from home. At 
work, he would be interested in applying the fascinating new technology that 
he had developed at home," said Rob Douglas, the present-day timekeeper at 
the National Research Council.
Homeowner fears for children's safety
It's still unclear whether the pole now standing is the original pole 
erected by Henderson. It's possible he replaced it at some point.
Henderson's property has since been subdivided. The pole now stands on the 
front lawn belonging to Kate Fildes, who's worried about the climbing pegs 
on each side that go right to the top.
"We're concerned that the kids in the neighbourhood are going to climb the 
thing and fall off and hurt themselves, so we decided to have it cut down," 
she said.
Woodworker plans memorial benches
Her neighbour, a woodworker named Fred Dellamico, lives in the original 
Henderson home. He thinks the pole might have some historical value, but 
he's not optimistic about his chances.
"I could appeal to the neighbours, who are nice people, to save it," he 
said.
"I already did that once two years ago. They wanted to take it down and I 
said, 'Well, I want to look into it.' So they postponed it."
If the pole does come down for safety reasons, Dellamico said he will offer 
to use his woodworking skills to turn it into benches.
Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved 

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