Provinces are making amateur radio operators an official part of extreme-weather planning

During the ice storm of 1998, power lines and transmission towers in Quebec and Ontario collapsed under layers of ice, taking out communications and leaving millions of people stranded without electricity and unable to communicate their plight.

In many cities, radio hams – amateur radio operators often communicating on battery-powered sets from their basements – stepped up to keep channels open to the emergency services and to help people connect to loved ones and stay updated on evolving disaster plans.