RAC Operating Awards: as of July 2021
The following information is outdated and is being included here for backround information only.
Canadaward
A Canadaward certificate will be issued to any Amateur who confirms two-way QSOs with Canadian Amateur stations located in each of the Canadian Provinces and Territories.
All QSOs must be on one band only. Separate awards will be issued for each band and mode on which the applicant qualifies.
Note: 13 cards are required for each band/mode.
Do not send QSL cards. Please have them certified by two other Radio Amateurs. The QSL cards must be in the applicant’s possession and they are subject to random check.
Applications: An application form for both the Canadaward and the 5 Band Canadaward (see below) is available in PDF format and by request from RAC Headquarters if you send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE).
Please send the completed application with the appropriate fee to the address provided below. For instructions on how to apply for the Award please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/operating/rac-operating-awards/instructions/
Cost: The award is now available as a PDF file for $5. For paper certificates the cost is CDN$10 for Canadian stations and US$10 for stations outside of Canada. Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
Note: Only contacts made after July 1, 1977 will count for this award.
5 Band Canadaward
A certificate is available to any Amateur who confirms two-way QSOs with Canadian Amateur stations located on each of five (5) separate bands.
Note: Total of 65 cards: 13 cards per band. Only contacts made after July 1, 1977 will count for this award. All Amateur bands may be used. Each distinct satellite mode will count as a separate band.
Note: VO2 – Labrador is a part of the province of Newfoundland and counts for Newfoundland. Some Canadian stations may be using different prefixes. Applicants should note that the award is based on the Province or Territory of residence of the QSL card, not the prefix.
Please do not send QSL cards. Please have them certified by two other Radio Amateurs. The QSL cards must be in the applicant’s possession and are subject to random check.
Applications: An application form for both the Canadaward and the 5 Band Canadaward (see below) is available in PDF format and by request from RAC Headquarters if you send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE).
Please send the completed application with the appropriate fee to the address provided below. For instructions on how to apply for the Award please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/operating/rac-operating-awards/instructions/
Cost: The award is now available as a PDF file for $5. For paper certificates the cost is CDN$10 for Canadian stations and US$10 for stations outside of Canada. Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
5 Band Plaque: A special engraved plaque is available to any Amateur who confirms two-way QSOs, as stated above, on 5 bands or more using rule for single band, mode. A total of 50 cards will be required. Plaques are available with or without backboard. The price of the plaque, including shipping, is subject to change and will be determined by the cost at the time it is awarded.
Worked All RAC Award
This award is available to all Radio Amateurs worldwide. A certificate will be issued to any Amateur who confirms two-way communication with an “Official” RAC station using the suffix “RAC” in at least 10 of the 18 prefixes.
Note: For Provinces or Territories having two RAC call signs –i.e.,: VA4 and VE4, VA1 and VE1, etc. – only one of the two call signs count in the total of the 10 call signs required for the award.
VA1, VA2, VA3, VA4, VA5, VA6, VE1, VE4, VE5, VE6, VE7, VE8, VE9, VO1, VO2, VY0, VY1, VY2.
Note: The new procedures will be easy to implement since all QSOs by RAC stations (VE1RAC, VY2RAC, etc.) are recorded on LoTW by the volunteers at RAC HQ in Ottawa.
QSL cards for the RAC official stations (all prefixes) should be sent to the callbook address provided below and they should not be sent directly to the operator.
Radio Amateurs of Canada
217 – 720 Belfast Road
Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z5
The effective date of the award is 0000 UTC July 1, 1998.
Separate awards will be issued as described below:
- Basic Award: 10 contacts, as stated above, on any band, any mode. 10 cards are required.
- Single Band: 10 contacts, as stated above, on a single band, and the following modes: CW, SSB, RTTY, Mixed, SSTV, Satellite, Other. 10 cards are required. Certificates are available for each band/mode.
Do not send QSL cards. Please have them certified by two Amateurs. Cards must be in the possession of the applicant. Cards are subject to a random check.
Applications: An application form is available here in PDF format or upon request to RAC HQ with SASE.
For instructions on how to apply for the Award please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/operating/rac-operating-awards/instructions/
Cost: The award is currently only available as a paper certificate at for CDN$10 for Canadian stations and US$10 for stations outside of Canada. We are working on a new PDF version of the award which will be available for $5. Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
5 Band Plaque: A special engraved plaque is available to any Amateur who confirms two-way QSOs, as stated above, on 5 bands or more using rule for single band, mode. A total of 50 cards will be required. Plaques are available with or without backboard. The price of the plaque, including shipping, is subject to change and will be determined by the cost at the time it is awarded.
Trans-Canada Award
Please note that this award is being replaced with the new Canadian Century Club Award. Please stay tuned for information.
Previous Trans-Canada Award rules:
A certificate is available to any Amateur who confirms five (5) contacts with each of the 10 VE call areas (VE8 and VY1 and VY0 count as 1 area) plus five (5) contacts with VO1/VO2, any combination.
Of the five (5) VE8/VY1 contacts required, one (1) must be in the Yukon Territory (VY1) and one (1) must be located on the offshore islands of the Northwest Territories (VE8).
Note: A grand total of 55 contacts are required. Any contact made after 1945 qualifies for the award.
Band and Mode: Any band or mode, mixed or otherwise.
QSL cards are not required unless specifically called for, but they should be in your possession. Instead, a list of the contacts showing the date, time, mode and definite location of the station worked can be used. This list should be certified by either one radio club official or two other certified Amateurs.
Call Areas: VE1 Nova Scotia; VE1-VE9 New Brunswick; VE1-VY2 Prince Edward Island; VE2-VA2 Quebec; VE3-VA3 Ontario; VE4 Manitoba; VE5 Saskatchewan; VE6 Alberta; VE7-VA7 British Columbia; VO1-VO2 Newfoundland and Labrabor; VE8 Northwest Territories; VY1 Yukon Territory; and VY0 Nunavut Territory.
Note: For this award VE8, VY1 and VY0 count as one area. Please see the rules provided above.
Applications: An application form is available here in PDF format or upon request to RAC HQ with SASE.
Please send the completed application with the appropriate fee to the address provided above. For instructions on how to apply for the Award please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/operating/rac-operating-awards/instructions/
Cost: The award is currently only available as a paper certificate at for CDN$10 for Canadian stations and US$10 for stations outside of Canada. We are working on a new PDF version of the award which will be available for $5.
Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
Applications for any of the above operating awards should be sent to:
Ante Laurijssen
RAC Awards Manager
1083 Rue Faubert
Gatineau, QC J8P 0B4
Applying for RAC Operating Awards
Background Information
Changes To The RAC Operating Awards Program: July 1, 2021
There are thousands of operating awards for confirmed contact with Amateur Radio stations in different continents, countries, states, provinces, counties, townships and islands around the world, and using different modes.
Radio Amateurs of Canada has been pleased to make the following awards available to all Radio Amateurs worldwide:
The RAC Operating Awards Program has relied upon paper QSL cards and the honesty of Amateurs to check the existence of cards before sending them to the Awards Manager.
LoTW Credits for RAC Awards
There have been significant changes in technology which have eliminated the need for the cumbersome task of confirming radio contacts. As of July 1, 2021, QSLs from Logbook of the World (LoTW) are being accepted for all RAC Operating Awards.
Two Awards Discontinued: Provincial Capitals and Seaway
Since I became the RAC Awards Manager eight years ago, I have not received any applications for the Seaway Award and the Provincial Capitals Award. For this reason and the fact that the information required for these two awards is not available on LoTW, the Provincial Capitals Award and the Seaway Award are being discontinued, effective immediately.
For the remaining awards described below, the application process will be slightly different for each award, but all will rely on the fact that all LoTW members have access to their own logs on LoTW. Members may search for any QSO and print or do a screen capture of the results.
It is my hope that these changes will revitalize the RAC Awards program. My thanks to the RAC Executive Committee and the RAC Contest and Awards Committee for going along with my suggestions.
Special thanks to Dave Goodwin, VE9CB, for his ideas and to Gerry Gross, WA6POZ, a fellow DXCC card checker, who first planted the idea of using LoTW in this way.
Other Operating Awards for Previous Special Events
To celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday in 2017, Radio Amateurs of Canada was pleased to present the following two special awards:
A list of Canadian Provinces and Territories and their prefixes is provided at the bottom of the page which will assist you in obtaining the awards.
List of Canadian Provinces and Territories
 | VO1-VO2 Newfoundland-Labrador |
| VE1 Nova Scotia |
| VE1-VE9 New Brunswick |
| VY2-VE1 Prince Edward Island |
| VE2/VA2 Quebec |
| VE3/VA3 Ontario |
| VE4 Manitoba |
| VE5 Saskatchewan |
| VE6 Alberta |
| VE7/VA7 British Columbia |
| VE8 Northwest Territories |
| VY0 Nunavut |
| VY1 Yukon |
RAC Canada 150 Award
To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, Radio Amateurs of Canada was pleased to present the RAC Canada 150 Award program.
The 14 special RAC call signs were activated by volunteers throughout the second half of 2017 starting with the Canada Day Contest on July 1. Stations making contacts with a number of RAC stations now have the opportunity to download an award corresponding to the number of different stations worked.
Please visit the RAC Canada 150 Award webpage for additional information including Guidelines and Procedures and to download your award.
Canada C3 Expedition Award
A Canada 150 Signature project, Canada C3 was a 150-day expedition (June 1 to October 28) from Toronto, Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia via the Northwest Passage. The goal of the project was to bring awareness to Canada’s coastline and inspire a deeper understanding of Canada’s coastline our land, our peoples and our country.
The purpose of the Canada C3 Expedition Award was to track the voyage of the Polar Prince as she travelled from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage and to study radio propagation in the Arctic regions of Canada. The Polar Prince had a radio on board which transmitted her progress using the WSPR mode. The special event call sign CG3EXP was used on the 40, 30 and 20 metre bands.
Note: WSPR (pronounced “whisper”) stands for “Weak Signal Propagation Reporter”. It is a computer program used for weak-signal radio communication between Amateur Radio operators. Additional information is provided below.
Stations listened for WSPR signals from CG3EXP and recorded the 6-character Maidenhead Grid Square transmitted and the location of the ship at the time of the reception.
When different observations worth 150 points were recorded and filed with the organizers, a certificate suitable for framing was to be awarded using a totally online operation. Applications will only be accepted by email and all certificates will be emailed to the recipients. A list of procedures is provided on the Canada C3 Expedition Award webpage.
Please visit the Canada C3 Expedition Award webpage for additional information and for a link to download the logging spreadsheet.