MARITIMES SCANNING SITE

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS IN THE MARITIMES
Last updated March 2, 2005

2008 Note:  Much of what is presented here is likely to be outdated.   It is thought that DFO uses the TMR in the Nova Scotia area, and 800 conventional in parts of NB, but it is possible that its 160 MHz frequencies are still in use as well in some areas.   

Please note that Canada Customs in Nova Scotia is reported to be using the NS Trunked Mobile Radio System in digital mode and most likely encrypted.   This may also be true of Canada Post, which also has a law enforcement/security arm.  In the other provinces these agencies are most likely using 400 MHz UHF conventional.

CANADA DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS

This information last updated December 26, 2003

This department is made up of two major divisions that were "forcefully" merged a few years ago.  There is the Coast Guard which operates the aids to navigation, ice breaking and sea search and rescue functions, and the Fisheries research and enforcement branch.  In addition to VHF and UHF communications both components utilize other means such as HF radio and satellite.  Vessels from both former fleets were blended into the Coast Guard but ships still carry out their separate functions. Coast Guard communications serving the public are covered in the Marine section of the Maritimes Scanning Site.   The Coast Guard did also at one time have an extensive communications system linking manned lighthouses, much or all of which may now be dismantled.  The Fisheries communications also occur to a much lesser extent on the Marine Band, but there was, and is to some extent, a communications system operating on approximately 166 MHz and covering much of the Maritimes.   Some frequencies are used in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.  At this time it is thought that there are no repeaters in this band in Prince Edward Island. It is apparent from the list of repeaters that much of the usage is inland, i.e not on the ocean.  It is expected that due to the high stakes involved and the volatility that some Fisheries communications would be very discreet and using unpublished frequencies and encryption.

Maritimes simplex frequency is 167.055 MHz.

Also 167.805 (possibly one of the missing inputs)

PARKS CANADA

Parks Canada, which is currently an agency of the federal Dept of Heritage, operates several National Parks and National Historic Parks in the the three Maritime provinces.  In most cases there are radio systems operated in or for these parks.  The national parks are Kejimkujik and Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia, Fundy and Kouchibouguac in New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island in that province.  The largest of the National Historic Parks are Halifax Citadel and the associated sites around Halifax, and Louisbourg.   All of these parks have radio systems.  In the case of the five national parks there are park wardens with law enforcement duties, and in some cases at least, an RCMP presence that may be using Parks frequencies as well as their own.   It has been reported by official sources that in Nova Scotia, Parks Canada is now using the 800 MHz provincial trunked mobile radio system (TMR or TMRS); however the last known VHF frequencies are listed below.

Common Parks frequencies in the Maritimes:  166.65, 166.05, 166.95, 167.25

Halifax Citadel and associated historic parks and sites:  166.65
This is apparently simplex but I haven't heard it enough to be sure.

Cape Breton Highlands was on a 140 MHz repeater system; but may now be on the TMR.

Kejimkujik National Park:  166.65 in/166.05 out

Kouchibouguac NP:
155.19 rptr out and simplex, 155.79 input.  

152.75 also reported

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

DND operates three bases in the Maritimes:

CFB Greenwood in the Annapolis Valley is operated by 14 Wing and is home to Maritime Patrol squadrons operating CP-140 Aurora (and CP-140A Arcturus variety) patrol aircraft, and also to a search and rescue/transport squadron operating CC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft and the new Cormorant helicopter. 
  
CFB Halifax is primarily the home to Canada's east coast navy and hosts the operational and support fleet.  The former CFB Shearwater is now a component of the Halifax base and a unit called 12 Wing operates the air base, primarily hosting operational and training naval helicopter squadrons using the CH-124 Sea King helicopter.
 
CFB Gagetown is an army base that is home to an infantry battalion that is often deployed overseas.   

Each of these bases also support subsidiary stations and reserve units.  The subsidiary stations are for the most part remote facilities with no or very few personnel on site except when required.  From a radio standpoint it is interesting to note the following facilities and practices.  Communications between shore facilities and deployed ships and maritime patrol aircraft go through the Naval Radio Station at Newport Corner, NS.  The receivers are at Mill Cove, NS.  At one time this was complete with personnel on site; however since the late 90's all operation is done from Halifax.  Ironically, before Mill Cove went into operation in the 60's, the naval radio station was in Dartmouth at Albro Lake.   The NRS system also handles A/G/A communications with the Auroras based at Greenwood, NS.    Previous to the early 70's there was an A/G/A radio station at Mount Uniacke, NS, with xmtr and rcvr sites not far apart.  These sites can still be recognized in 2004 though all antennas are long gone.   
There is another still-functioning military radio station located near Debert, NS.  This station has a xmtr site at  Great Village and rcvr at Masstown.  This station is used for communications with deployed units overseas such as in Afghanistan or elsewhere.  It may or may not be a backup for Trans-Canada communications and communications with embassies.  There may still be personnel at this facility.   
There are also remotely operated radar facilities at Barrington and Sydney (operated from North Bay, Ontario) and also thought to be an underwater sensing facility coming ashore near Shelburne, NS.   There is a major militia (army reserve) training facility located at Aldershot, near Kentville, NS and there is an annual sea cadet camp (HMCS Acadia) operating from the former base at Cornwallis, NS.
There are reserve forces units in a number of Maritimes towns and cities and these are served for logistical and maintenance needs by one of the bases. 

These facilities are mentioned in a scanning website such as this because some of you will be interested in such information, but also because it is possible that you might hear the military police on the air from these locations.  Patrols are made and incidents must be investigated.

For information's sake, here are some bases in the Maritimes (other than those mentioned above) that have closed in the past 30 years:  CFB Summerside, PEI (Maritime Patrol air base), CFB Cornwallis, NS (Recruit training base), CFB Chatham, NB (Air defence fighter base) and CFB Moncton (Regional supply base).  Long range radar stations, such as CFS St. Margarets have also closed.   Well into the past, Beaver Bank was a radar station in the early cold war days, Debert airport was an air training base in World War II, as was Yarmouth, and the now completely closed airfield at Pennfield Ridge, NB and several other airfields around the Maritimes. 

DND Communications

Actual operational communications are likely to be via satellite or via low power handie-talkies or on HF frequencies. The air bases (Greenwood and Shearwater) use aero frequencies on the air side, both VHF and Milair (UHF).  These frequencies are listed in the Aeronautical page.  Ships use regular marine frequencies for communication with harbour authorities and with civilian ships.  Otherwise they are likely to use UHF for line of site communications with other naval ships and satellite for more distant communications.    Here are a few frequencies of the support variety.

**** this  frequency had been prevously reported as 149.15 which does not fit the civilian bandplan for VHF.  I have been told by a contributor who has seen the station licence that it is indeed 149.14

Webpages for and about military bases (thanks to Nick)