Heart�s Content, the landing site for
the first successful trans-Atlantic submarine telegraph
cable in 1866, has been named the co-recipient of the
Telecom Laureate Special Recognition Award for 2009, and
will be inducted into Canada�s Telecommunications Hall
of Fame at an awards gala tomorrow (November 4) at the
Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.
"To be recognized as a one of Canada�s
first leaders in telecommunications is an honour," said
the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation. "The Heart�s Content Cable
Station will remain an attraction for tourists
worldwide, and a significant part of global
communications history."
Bamfield, British Columbia, also
received the Special Recognition Award for 2009, as the
site of the first Pacific trans-oceanic submarine
telegraph cable.
Lorne Abugov, the founder and director
of Canada�s Telecommunications Hall of Fame, said
Heart�s Content and Bamfield are both small coastal
communities that for decades were Canada�s international
telecommunications gateways to the world.
"This is a deserving �sea to shining
sea� honour for Heart's Content and for Bamfield, and
signifies the tremendous historical significance of the
two towns as our country's first international
communications links from the New World to the Old World
and to the rest of the British Empire," said Mr. Abugov.
"The Hall of Fame is thrilled to shine a beacon of light
on the two coastal towns, and on the men and women who
worked at their cable landing stations so long and so
well."
Held each year, the Telecom Laureate
Awards gala and hall of fame induction ceremony honours
the accomplishments of the country�s pioneers,
innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders in the
telecommunications industry. For additional information
about Canada�s Telecommunications Hall of Fame, visit:
www.telecomhall.ca
The Hearts Content Cable Station
played an integral role in transatlantic communications
for almost 100 years, remaining in continuous service
until 1965. It was also the focal point of the Heart�s
Content area, and its presence created economic and
social conditions unique to rural communities in
Newfoundland in the later 19th and early 20th
centuries.
Designated a Provincial Historic Site
in 1974, the Heart�s Content Cable Station is operated
by the Provincial Government, and has become a
well-known heritage site and tourist attraction. It
includes a replica 1870s cable office and exhibits that
tell the story of the laying of the cable, its impact on
the history of global communications, and the station�s
role over its century of operation.
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