Centennial of Broadcasting in Canada

Recipient of the 2020 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming

November 12, 2020

Musée des Ondes Emile Berliner, Montreal, Quebec

The year 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the advent of civil radio broadcasting in Canada.

Montreal’s Musée des Ondes Emile Berliner, with the support of the Quebec Society for Vintage Radio Collectors, called on several key stakeholders in the Montreal region to assist them with a project commemorating this event that revolutionized communications in Canada.

The development of radio broadcasting had major economic and cultural impacts on the country and, more particularly, on the Montreal region, where a veritable industrial cluster relating to the sector was created.

The museum was convinced that a spotlight should be shone on the full breadth of this somewhat overlooked part of our history, leaving a lasting record for various types of audiences.

Thus, with the support of its dedicated partners, the museum created and coordinated a year-long series of key events and encounters of various types, which included a traditional exhibition (with a corresponding virtual component), lectures, the recording of special radio shows, and the launch of a podcast series.