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In the fall of 1910, the Marconi Wireless Company of Canada established an experimental wireless station, callsign "MUG" in Port Arthur, Ontario, at the Mariaggi (Northern) Hotel, on Cumberland Street. Wireless equipment was also installed on the lighter (barge) Empire, and the tug James Whalen. The tug would tow the barge out into Lake Superior, to act as a floating repeater station and extend the working range.
The first station was built on the corner of Dawson and High Streets. It had twin 180-foot vertical antennas that could easily receive signals from hundreds of kilometres away. By 1914, a chain of wireless stations was built from Port Arthur to Kingston, and the station given its modern callsign "VBA." The Marconi Company would operate these stations, under contact to the federal government, for many years.
Early 20th century wireless communications were conducted via the Morse code using spark-gap (damped wave) transmitters. By the mid 1920's, continuous (sine) wave or CW transmitters became the standard for shore stations. The word "radio" (Latin: to radiate, shine or beam) became the preferred prefix, and wireless telegraphy became radiotelegraphy. A few years later, radiotelephony became the term for wireless voice transmissions. VBA also provided public commercial telegram services for the twin port cities of Port Arthur and Fort William. The first message, sent by the mayor of Port Arthur to the mayor of Duluth, on 17 December 1910 was: "Greetings from Port Arthur in first wireless message. We clasp unseen hands across Lake Superior."
On 7 December 1910, the new station proved itself when the SS Dunelm ran on aground near Blake's Point, Isle Royale (Canoe Rocks) and fired off distress rockets (she didn't have wireless). A passing freighter, which did have, saw the rockets, and transmitted a radio call for help, to Port Arthur. Under adverse conditions, the James Whalen and Empire rescued the crew, and salvaged the ship. The Dunelm was later towed to the newly constructed dry-dock facilities at the port. Altogether, the salvage and repair bill was $87,500 ($2 million in 2009 dollars), and the ship was sold to another company. Wireless was both altruistic and profitable, at the same time!
In 1962, the Port Arthur station was combined with the Aeradio (now called Flight Services) station at the Fort William airport, and came under the authority of the Department of Transport, Air Services. The air and marine divisions were once again separated (April 1986), and VBA was moved to the post office building, on Court Street, in the north end of the city, now called Thunder Bay. The station was re-commissioned as a Coast Guard Radio Station (CGRS). The Canadian coast guard began consolidating the then 44 coast guard radio stations down to 22 and Thunder Bay also took over the coverage areas of the closed Winnipeg (VFW5) and Churchill (VAP) stations by using remote repeater sites. Morse code services were also provided (western Hudson Bay), from VBA, for the next 22 years.
In April 1997, the station was moved, once again, to the coast guard base at the Keefer Terminal complex, in the intercity area. The services of the closed Sault Ste Marie (VBB) and Wiarton (VBC) stations were integrated, and VBA was re-commissioned as a Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre. The separate Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system was combined, in the mid 1990's, with the coast guard radio stations to form these "super" marine communications and traffic service centres (MCTS).
With the start of the 2009 Arctic shipping season, Thunder Bay still maintains a VHF listening watch for the Port of Churchill and local area, but all other services, for western Hudson Bay, are now provided by VFF Iqaluit, via the Coral Harbour remotely controlled site. In November, 2010, VBA Thunder Bay will celebrate 100 years of continuous public radio service. She is the first and oldest of the Canadian Great Lakes coastal stations, and is still in operation from the same city, just a few miles from that first Marconi station. The only other remaining Canadian Great Lakes "wireless" stations are VBE Sarnia (Point Edward, 1913) and VBR Prescott (Bird's Rock, 1918).
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