Part 5: Jubilee Broadcast a Triumph for CN

The high point for CN radio came in July 1927 when Canada celebrated the 60th anniversary of Confederation. To mark the occasion in a spectacular way, the government planned a three-day Diamond Jubilee celebration. Much of it would be broadcast across the country, even around the world – and CN radio would play the lead role.

CN Crowds on the fairgrounds of Parliament Hill for Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations,
Ottawa, July 1, 1927. CSTM/CN Collection #11629

The Jubilee broadcast was Canada’s first ever nationwide radio broadcast. Covered by CNRO Ottawa, it was transmitted over CN and other communication lines to 23 radio stations from coast to coast. From the Canadian Marconi station in Drummondville, Quebec, it was transmitted by short wave to Britain and then to Europe. The signal in the western hemisphere was so strong that the broadcast could be heard throughout the United States, in Mexico, and even in parts of South America.

On Dominion Day itself, July 1, listeners were treated to three programs – morning, afternoon, and evening – featuring the inauguration of a new carillon in the Peace Tower; speeches by many dignitaries; and a musical performance that included a piece composed by the then current governor-general, Lord Willingdon. The next day’s events featured aviator Charles Lindbergh, who flew his famous airplane Spirit of St. Louis over the Peace Tower, then stood at CNRO’s microphone on Parliament Hill to address the vast audience. On the third day, July 3, CNRO carried a special church service and, unexpectedly, the carillon playing the funeral march in tribute to an aviator who had accompanied Lindbergh to Ottawa and had been killed when his plane crashed.

CN’s Diamond Jubilee broadcast remains a milestone in Canadian radio broadcasting history. AV Preservation Trust of Canada chose it in 2001 as a masterwork in Canadian audio-visual production because of the geographical scope of the broadcast and the number of people it reached, new records at the time.

Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie Kings welcomes American aviator hero Charles Lindbergh at Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Ottawa, July 1, 1927. CSTM/CN Collection #11628


CN American aviator Charles Lindbergh gives the first trans-Canada radio broadcast while speaking at Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Ottawa, July 1, 1927. CSTM/CN Collection # 11609

"CN earns heritage recognition for Canada's first nationwide radio broadcast in 1927"

The Jubilee triumph took place just as CN was greatly improving the network’s quality and capacity by installing new carrier-current technology. CN replaced telegraph lines between Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto with a carrier-current system early in 1927, and by the end of 1929, carrier-current had been installed from the Maritimes to Vancouver.

Network broadcasting brought CN several major benefits. First, it was much less costly to broadcast a single program from a number of stations simultaneously than for each station to create its own programming. Second, CN’s messages would reach many more listeners, both employees and the general public. And third, networking made CN radio the broadcaster of choice when it came to covering events of national importance.

Related link:

"World Record Broadcast Made" by C.J. Hanratty which appeared in the August 1927 issue of Canadian National Railways Magazine.

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