National Capital Chapter 70 - Ottawa, Canada
VE3AAS Biography 
William (Bill) Barrie - SK - QCWA# 8802 (Silent Key)
Background
Bill was born and raised on a farm near Galt (now Cambridge) Ontario
Education / Employment History
- After high school, Bill received a commercial Radio Operator certificate from the Marconi school and was considering a career as a shipboard radio operator but instead joined the RCAF as an RDF (Radar) Mechanic. After several stints at RAF Radar schools in the UK, Bill taught radar at Cranwell and Prestwick. In 1942 Bill volunteered for overseas service and was soon near Karachi in northwest India (now Pakistan) at Korangi Creek station, where he joined RAF 212 Squadron flying Catalina flying boats with ASV radar patrolling the Indian Ocean and into the Persian Gulf. By 1944, Bill was at RAF Base Signals Depot # 5 at Calcutta on the eastern side of India, where he remembers building radar beacons to aid the transports flying supplies into western China “over the hump” (Himalayas Mountains).
- 1949 - University of Western Ontario - Bill graduated with a B.Sc. (Radio Physics) degree.
- 1949 - Bill joined Northern Electric in Belleville to work under former Chapter 70 member the late Bud Punchard VE3UD. Other Chapter 70 members then at Belleville included the late Jim Jarvis VE3TI, and Wally Clarke VE3CBE.
- 1952 - Bill was approached about going north for two years to work on ultra-secret Project 572, the development phase of the DEW Line.
- 1954 - Following his return to NE Belleville, Bill joined the radar group where they were working on the FPS-3 and FPS-20 radars, the MN-23 radio compass and an audio system for the Senate.
- 1957 - Bill established the Semiconductor R & D Lab at the Northern Electric Montreal plant, which led to the Bell Northern Research and Development Labs move to Ottawa.
- By 1961 Bill was involved with radar and satellite communications development at BNR, culminating in the 1972 launch of the ANIK domestic communications satellite. Among Bill’s staff in Ottawa was a young Queen’s engineering graduate, Chapter 70’s David Conn - VE3KL.
- 1976 - Bill retired from Bell Northern Research.
- 1976 - SPAR Aerospace - Engineering Manager. Passive radar ( Infra Red), electronics for the Canadarm, and satellite-borne microwave radio.
Amateur Radio History
- 1934 - First licensed while in high school as VE3AAS. Bill remembers working Fred Hammond VE3HC 19 miles away on the old 5M band.
- Bill now enjoys as much time as possible at the cottage where his antenna farm comprises a cubical quad, 160M Marconi, VHF and UHF Yagis.
- He is one of the original VE3AAR Repeater sponsors, and is still active with the Almonte Amateur Radio Club ARES group.
- Bill takes his turn as Net Control of the VE3STP Champlain Mini-Net(Monday nights). Bill's latest project, now that he has a D-STAR radio, is to get Almonte set up with a D-STAR Repeater.
Additional Information
Bill is a member of QCWA and a former Chapter 70 Director (1990-1994) and President (1995).
He was presented with his Century Certificate at the Chapter 70 September 2001 dinner meeting and his "75 Years Licensed" plaque and lapel pin at the Chapter 70 February 2009 dinner meeting.
His presentation "Project 572 and VE8GY" at the Chapter 70 February 2008 dinner meeting was very well received.
Received 80 Year Licensed Anniversary Award in May, 2014
Bill passed away March 15, 2017 in his 100th year.