Yellowknife (Oct 29/03) - Jack Adderly is one Yellowknifer who truly appreciates today's modern conveniences.

Jack Adderly once transmitted Morse Code across the North. - Dorothy Westerman/NNSL photo

A Second World War veteran, Adderly moved to the North almost 50 years ago to work with NWT & Y Signals, the Department of Transportation, and eventually as a civilian for the Royal Canadian Signals Corp. as a radio operator.

It was an era of Morse Code and the steady tap of keys that connected the vast wilderness to which Adderly grew accustomed.

Describing it as the "life blood" of the North, Adderly said Morse Code was the only means of communication until the installation of land lines.

"We worked the land line, point to point and ground to aircraft. One of our best jobs was to monitor the long distance frequencies in Yellowknife," he said, for which receivers were set up in the Gold Range Hotel.

The familiar beep of code would be transmitted across the region to Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Chipewyan and Edmonton, Alta.

"It was the only way you could get any messages across," Adderly said.

But of all those dashes and dots, what could have been the most important signal Adderly transmitted?

"In Yellowknife, probably the most important message of the day would be the signal when Edmonton or Hay River would call us," he said.

"They would say, 'The beer barge left today at two o'clock,'" he said laughing.

Sweepstakes would be held on the arrival of the first beer barge and afterwards "the associated party would be held."

Master Corporal Andrew Eaton, who is stationed at Canadian Forces Northern Area in Yellowknife, said the department is celebrating 100 years of signals in Canada and 80 years of signals in the North.

"They had to do it all. They had to operate the radio, fix the radio, put out the antenna and probably be the guy that built the building to put it in," Eaton said.