Amateur Radio Courses

Courses organized by Canadian Amateur Radio Clubs

British Columbia

Richmond

The Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC) is offering its annual Basic Qualification radio course from Saturday, February 8 to Saturday, March 14.

The course will be held in the Vancity Blundell Branch “Community Stage” (Boardroom) at Blundell Centre in Richmond.

The course consists of five Saturday morning classes from 9 am to 12 noon with the exam on the sixth Saturday, March 14, 2020.

This course prepares students for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Basic Qualification Level Operator Certificate exam to operate on allocated Amateur Radio frequencies.

A registration fee of $100 for the course includes approximately 18 hours of classroom instruction, extensive course study guide (text book), instructors’ notes, course exam, and call sign registration with ISED upon passing exam.

Students successfully completing the course will each receive a one-year membership with the club.

Amateur Radio courses offered by the RARC serve the following purposes:

• Introduce new individuals to the Amateur Radio Service
• Qualify volunteers to provide Amateur Radio communication services to support local community events and emergency communications
• Generate interest in becoming a member of RARC and the Amateur Radio community

The club has successfully graduated several new Amateurs on an annual basis.

Contact: Urey Chan, VE7URE, Richmond Amateur Radio Club President and Course Coordinator at or

For complete information please visit the course webpage at:

http://www.richmondarc.ca/rarclub/basic147.html

Langley/Surrey/Maple Ridge Area

Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC) generally offers a spring and fall Basic course each year. In the past year we have certified over 30 students of all ages. These new Amateurs came from all levels of society, some with technical backgrounds, most without. Some were off-roaders, outdoors people, folks looking for an interesting new hobby, and those interested in community service or emergency preparedness and staying in touch if the BIG one hits.

Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC) in partnership with the Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio (SEPAR), offers a spring and fall Basic course each year. In the past year we have certified over 30 students of all ages from throughout the BC Lower Mainland. These new Amateurs came from all levels of society, some with technical backgrounds, most without, and as young as 12 years. Some were off-roaders, outdoors people, folks looking for an interesting new hobby, and those interested in community service or emergency preparedness and staying in touch if the BIG one hits.

We have set the start for the next class as Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm. Our experienced instructors use the excellent classroom facilities courtesy of the Surrey Fire Service at their training facility 14923 64th Avenue, Surrey, BC.

If COVID is still a concern and our classroom is unavailable, we can offer the same course, with the same material online, even beyond our local area. Our online software is in use by universities and is rated among the highest in terms of reliability, ease of use and security. It requires no special software installation and may be accessed by a variety of web browsers on any Internet capable device and any operating system.  

The course is divided into 12 modules, matching chapters in our included manual, and each chapter includes the slide presentation, classroom video, and a hands-on workshop where you build, tune and take home a VHF-UHF antenna.

Because the real learning happens after the course, we include a year’s membership in SARC (a $30 value). We also include the exam fee in the $80 course (we have a special ‘student’ and a ‘family’ rate).

For further information please visit our website at http://ve7sar.net or email .

Thank you and 73,

John Schouten, VE7TI
Lead Instructor –  

Lower Mainland from Squamish to Hope

Gary Skett, VE7AS, is offering private small group Basic Amateur Radio Licensing courses twice a month from July to November at his home in south Langley Township.  The 32-hour course runs two consecutive Friday evenings from 6 pm to 9:30 pm and two Saturdays from 9 am to about 4:30 pm. You write mid-day on the second Saturday.  With the fully automated registration system, you can get on the air later the same day.

This course was professionally designed to enable you to pass the official federal government exam with at least an 80% mark and involves 24 hours of classroom time and about 8 hours of home-study between the two weekends.  All materials are supplied.  More information after signing up via email.

COVID-19 Precautions: Please note that while the pandemic is still a concern, Gary will have some safety conditions associated with attending classes, at least for the remainder of this year or until the local government gives us an “all-clear.”

Online exams: During the COVID-19 situation, Gary is authorized to administer online examinations using Skype.  For details contact Gary through his email address.

“I have been an active Amateur since 1970 and a professional corporate and Amateur Radio trainer/instructor since 1981 (now retired).  I have also been an ISED accredited examiner since 1988. My students have ranged in age from 20 to 92, with a 98% success rate. Classes are small and are usually made up of singles, couples, or a group of four friends. References available upon request.”

For further details, cost, and course information please contact Gary Skett, VE7AS at  Note: A non-refundable deposit may be required.

Nanaimo

The Nanaimo Amateur Radio Association is providing an Advanced Amateur Radio Qualification Course starting in mid-January 2020 and ending in mid-March. The course will run one day a week for about 8 weeks.

Cost: The cost is about $120 (depends on class size) and includes training texts, all necessary materials, and ISED Canada certified examination.

Enrolling: If you or anyone you know would like to take amateur radio training, please contact NARA at

If you have been considering upgrading your qualifications this may very well be your chance! The Advanced certificate will grant you additional privileges such as allowing you to run higher power and to operate your own repeater sites.

Contact:  to register or for more details.

General information about upcoming radio courses can be found at:

http://www.ve7na.ca/cms/training

North Vancouver

Licensing Course for the Basic Amateur Radio Qualification Course is conducted by the North Shore Amateur Radio Club of Vancouver British Columbia. The next course offering is on Saturdays, commencing in the spring of 2020.

The course for the Advanced Amateur Radio Operator Certificate is regularly conducted every second year by the North Shore Amateur Radio Club of Vancouver British Columbia. The next course offering will be scheduled for the fall of 2021.

For more information visit the club website at http://www.nsarc.ca/and click on Courses in the menu at the top left.

Vancouver

The Vancouver Emergency Community Telecommunications Organization (VECTOR) Amateur Radio certificate Preparation & Examination Course can help you prepare for and obtain your Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada) Amateur Radio certificate. Our proven syllabus and experienced instructors will help you internalize the knowledge required to obtain your certificate regardless of your current level of radio, technical or policy knowledge.

VECTOR offers three or more six-week training courses annually. Each course concludes with a certificate exam administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada approved examiners. This popular course routinely fills up quickly so don’t delay, register today!

Contact: 

For further information please visit: http://vectorradio.ca/training/amateur-radio-certificate-course/

Vernon – North Okanagan Area

The North Okanagan Radio Amateur Club (NORAC) is providing Basic Amateur Radio Qualification Courses approximately once a year (fall, winter or spring).

The course consists of 12 sessions held two evenings per week over 6-8 weeks. This provides a small group of interested people with plenty of time for education, questions and review of the course material.

Classes are supported by our local Amateur Radio operators, instructors, and examiner. Please reach out and get on the waiting list so you can be contacted when the next course is coming together. Please our check our website for further details.

Contact: Nicholas Rudersdorfer at

Website: http://www.norac.bc.ca

Victoria

The Westcoast Amateur Radio Association (WARA) offers one Basic Amateur Radio Course per year. It usually starts shortly after New Year’s Day and runs until the beginning of April. Additional content and self-study materials are also included to assist in taking the Advanced exam.

Classes run on Mondays and Thursday evenings with some time on a few Saturday afternoons for station visits and training clinics.

The location is the Capital Regional District Commons Room at Government and Fisgard Streets in Victoria, BC.

For current/upcoming class information please go to the WARA website and click on http://www.ve7vic.ca/education-department/

For more information, go to our Education Contact page at http://www.ve7vic.ca/education-department-contact

The Victoria Communications Club In Victoria BC, offers courses in the following:

• Building IRLP simplex nodes from second hand computers and radios
• Antenna construction
• RF design, tools and construction of homebrew radio equipment
• Building personal phone patches

The club meets at 204-2526 Government Street on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7:30

Manitoba

Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club is planning a Basic Short Course to be held in February 2020. For more information visit the club’s website at winnipegarc.org  or inquire by email at .

Students achieving 70% or better on Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (formerly Industry Canada) 100 question, multiple-choice examination will receive the Amateur Radio Operator Certificate, Basic Qualification and a call sign. The exam is part of the last class. Your certificate is yours for life!

Visit the Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club’s website for more information and the course registration form. Once registered,  you will be provided with information on how to prepare for the course and what to bring to the first class.

Contact: Roberto Urrea, VA4RUL, at  if interested.

Website: winnipegarc.org

Ontario

Barrie

The Barrie Amateur Radio Club offers a Basic Qualification Course once each year starting in January or early February.

The course consists of 10 evening classes approximately 2-1/2 hours long starting at 7 pm on Wednesday evenings. The final exam is given on the 11th evening.

The total cost is $90 which includes the latest Basic Qualification Study Guide from Coax Publications, course notes, a CD with much information on Amateur Radio, and the final exam by an ISED Accredited Examiner.

Those who successfully pass the exam and receive a call sign will also receive a full membership in the Barrie Amateur Radio Club for the remainder of that membership year.

The course is held at the Eastview Secondary School (421 Grove Street East) in Barrie, Ontario. Check the club webpage for details.

Contact: 
Website: https://barriearc.com/

Belleville

The Quinte Amateur Radio club offers a course for the Basic Amateur Radio certificate based on demand. Please check the QARC website for information on when and where courses will be held in the Belleville area.

Website: www.qarc.on.ca

Burlington

The next Burlington Amateur Radio Club (BARC)  Course for the Basic certificate starts Tuesday, September 15, 2020. We will meet from 7:00 until 9:00 at Shoreacres Bible Chapel, 370 Shoreacres Rd., Burlington. The course meets 8 Tuesdays. The last Course meeting night is November 24.

Cost: $100 includes: BARC membership, all necessary course materials and the exam.

Register early to be included in the course lead-up activities.

Contact: Hugh, 

Website: https://www.barc.ca/education

Kitchener-Waterloo

The Kitchener-Waterloo Amateur Radio Club (KWARC) is pleased to offer a Basic Amateur Radio Course.

Date: Starting at 7:30 pm on March 24, 2020, and running until June 9, 2020.

Place: St John Ambulance, 250 Gage Ave, Kitchener

This course will be a condensed version of the full course offered by various clubs. Participants will be expected to study course materials in advance independently, as well as attend the classroom sessions. The classroom program would consist of an introduction to Amateur Radio, meet the instructors, introduction to Internet self-study, and a discussion of the timetable on Tuesday, March 24.

On subsequent nights there would be various hands-on demonstrations, a practice exam on Tuesday May 26 and a Government Examination conducted by the Club Examiner on June 9. There would be seven classroom sessions from 7:30 pm to 10 pm, held at the St John Ambulance facility, 250 Gage Avenue, Kitchener.

Course instructors will be Roger Sanderson, VE3RKS, Gord Hayward VE3EOS, David Sullivan, VE3RBA, Tim Vegh, VA3TMV, Jonathan Fritz, VA3JFZ, Vic DiCiccio, VE3YT, Dan Damianoff, VA3IDD,and Rick Goetze, VE3ZUP.

Eligibility:  This course is open to anyone; however, enrollment is limited. For practical reasons, the class size is capped at 30 students.

Cost/Registration: Free with a $25 one-year membership in KWARC. (Normal membership is $36.) Bring cash or cheque payable to “KW Amateur Radio Club” to the first meeting.

Included: Free parking, 10 weeks training sessions including exam. One-year Associate Club Membership

Not Included: Course Material:  Check with the instructor for which Study Guide to order through the RAC website.

Contact: Roger Sanderson, VE3RKS, at 

Website: www.kwarc.org/kw-class.html

Mississauga

The Mississauga Amateur Radio Club VE3MIS holds a course each year in Mississauga to provide you with the knowledge to pass your Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada) Basic Qualification Amateur Radio examination to obtain your Amateur Radio certificate. Basic courses usually start in September and run until mid-December.

An Advanced Course is usually held the beginning in January and runs until March. This course will provide you with all of the information required to obtain your optional Advanced endorsement. The club also holds an optional Morse Code Course leading to your CW endorsement if sufficient students enroll.

Accredited Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada examiners are available in the club to administer the examinations as part of the class. RAC Study Guides are used for the Basic and Advanced Courses.

For more information on time, location, study materials and fees, visit our website.

You may also write us at:

Mississauga ARC
Attention: Education Manager
P.O. Box 2003
Square One Post Office
Mississauga, ON L5B 3C6

Website: www.marc.on.ca

Niagara Region

Niagara Peninsula Amateur Radio Club

The Amateur Radio Basic Qualification classes are offered every year that has sufficient enrollment. For the Club Year 2017-2018,  classes will begin September 20, 2018 at the Black Creek Community Centre in Stevensviille. Classes will begin at 7:30 pm and continue every Thursday night for 13 weeks. Students will write the test the last week. Black Creek Community Centre is located at:

2959 Baker Rd.
Stevensville, ON
L0S 1S0

Cost of the course is $75. This includes:

• New Coax Publications Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide
• Industry Canada certified examination
• A Full Membership in NPARC for the remainder of the year

For registration and locations in future year email     or visit  www.nparc.on.ca

Orangeville

The Dufferin Amateur Radio Emergency Services group is offering the “Basic Qualification” Amateur Radio course for anyone who is interested in obtaining their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate.

The course will be approximately 10 weeks and will run from 7pm to 9pm starting April 22, 2013 in the new Edelbrock room at 30 Centre Street in Orangeville.

The cost of the course is Free, however the Basic Qualification Study Guide is required at a minimal cost of $45 and should be obtained by visiting the RAC Study Guides page at https://www.rac.ca/study-guides-2/ and reviewed prior to the start date. There is no age restriction for the course and anyone with an interest in Amateur Radio can sign up. The Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada) Basic Qualification exam will be administered on the last night of the course and is also provided at no cost.

For further information, contact Jason Miles VE3TYG,

Contact: Jason Miles, VE3TYG

Ottawa

The Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club offers an Amateur Radio course each year for those wishing to acquire a “Certificate of Proficiency in Amateur Radio” (Basic Radio Amateur qualification) from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada)  to operate an Amateur Radio station. Please see the OVMRC website for information on when and where the courses are held.

Website: ovmrc.on.ca/radio-course.htm

Toronto

The Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club offers a variety of Amateur Radio certification courses throughout the year, including certification for the:

Basic Qualification
Advanced Qualification
Morse Code Qualification

For more information about upcoming courses, please check out the club’s website at:

Contact: Central Toronto ARC

Website: http://va3cta.net/pages/get-a-certificate

Quebec

Montreal

The Montreal Amateur Radio Club offers an 11-week course held on Saturday mornings starting in January for the Basic Qualification. It also offers, with sufficient demand, a course for the Advanced Qualification, held on Saturday mornings starting in late August or early September.Classes are held in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace area for between two to three hours each week.

Contact: James R. Hay, VE2VE at 514-697-7205

Website: www.marc.qc.ca

RAC-RAQI Amateur Radio Course

Radio Amateur du Québec Inc., a provincial association, is pleased to offer a self-paced web-based training course to anyone seeking a Canadian Amateur Radio certificate with Basic qualification.

For Canadians who are working to obtain their Amateur Radio certification this  is particularly useful for those unable to attend courses offered by local clubs.

For more information please visit: https://raqi.ca/node/359

RAC fera la promotion, hors Québec, d’un cours en ligne produit par RAQI pour la formation de nouveaux radioamateurs. Cette approche constitue une manière particulièrement intéressante aux apprentis radioamateurs canadiens qui n’ont pas la chance de pouvoir s’inscrire aux cours des clubs locaux.

Pour plus d’informations, visitez : https://raqi.ca/node/233

New Brunswick

Fredericton

Please share this with anyone you think might be interested.

Would you like to:

• communicate with people around the world without the use of phones or the Internet?
• experiment with electronics?
• interface radio transmitters with your computer?
• serve your community at public events or during serious emergency situations?
• talk to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, or communicate through satellites?
• develop new relationships and learn what is going on around world through the airwaves?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) may be for you!

The Fredericton Amateur Radio Club is offering a providing an Basic Amateur Radio Qualification Course starting in January 2020. For more information please visit the club website at www.ve9nd.ca

Website: www.ve9nd.ca

Nova Scotia

New Online Basic Qualification Amateur Radio Course

In response to the current Covid-19 crisis, Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to announce that it is introducing a new online Amateur Radio course so that individuals can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification while continuing to practise social/physical distancing.

The course will be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.

Course information:

Date: The course will start on Thursday, April 16 and will finish in mid-June.

Time: Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 8:30 (1800 – 2030) Eastern Time (1900 – 2130 Atlantic Time) and Sunday afternoons 1 pm to 3:30 pm (1300 – 1530) Eastern Time (1400 – 1630 Atlantic Time).

Cost: The registration fee for the course is $50 plus GST/HST. The cost of the Basic Study Guide is extra and an order link will be provided upon completion of payment.

For more information about the course please visit:

https://www.rac.ca/basic-radio-course/

Newfoundland

St. John’s

The Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs (SONRA) offers an Amateur Radio Basic qualification examination preparation course this winter, pending sufficient enrollment.

This course will assist you in preparing for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada) written exam. Internet access is required for this course.

Course fee is $85.00 payable by cheque or cash and includes course material and examination. Seats are limited. If you would like to participate, please contact Ken.

Contact: Ken – VO1ST