Ham radio enthusiasts converged on the International Peace Garden, south of Boissevain, for the annual Hamfest on July 14th.

Hamfest started 55 years ago and is a gathering of ham radio operators from Canada and the United States. This year’s program attracted more than 80 people from Manitoba, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Minnesota.

Jim MacKenzie of Regina has been a ham radio operator for several years and this was his third trip. "It’s always a good chance to see my fellow ham radio hobbyists. A lot of people think they don’t need us anymore because of the internet but the truth is we are needed more than ever. It’s important when there are emergencies and if the power grid goes down or there’s a big disaster like the bombing at the Boston Marathon the cell networks get overloaded so the ham radio still has a really important purpose during emergency coordination."

Ham radio numbers continue to grow with more than 100,000 licenses in Canada and more than 1.2 million in the United States. "It’s partly because it is easier than ever to get a call sign, it’s free and it’s a lifetime thing and people think that talking to people just using the ionosphere and radio waves is a pretty fun hobby."

The Hamfest has radio operators bringing equipment to swap and sell, they have sessions to learn about ham radios and what is new and the delegates do a lot of socializing and have fun. At its peak Hamfest attracted 400 people and the last few years it has been around 75 to 80 people.

"We’ve got people hear mostly from the immediate four to five hour radius but you still see a few plates from B.C. and Alberta. What is neat is the International Peace Garden. You folks here know about it but it’s so neat to see this little oasis right on the border and it is just so convenient," said MacKenzie.

He has a radio in his car and says he’s usually on it most days but the amount of time he spends on his ham radio can vary. "One of the people I spoke with at Hamfest talked about how he was talking to a farmer in Bulgaria who has a ham radio in his tractor."