Help Save Battle Harbour’s Historic Marconi Towers

Attention all hams around the world!!!
Battle Harbour, a small island located in Labrador, needs our help!


For once, you don't need to open your wallet!​

A symbol of wireless history and strength, the Battle Harbour Marconi Towers have been linking communities for nearly a century. Now, they need our vote to continue standing strong for future generations!

The National Trust for Canada's Next Great Save competition gives communities the power to protect heritage sites, with a $50,000 Grand Prize sponsored by Ecclesiastical.

These towers connect modern radio amateurs to the pioneers who helped shape the hobby and technology. Just as modern radio amateurs continue to push the boundaries of communication, preserving these towers can inspire future innovations. These structures serve as a reminder of how far we’ve come and how innovation in the radio world has progressed. Future generations of engineers, hobbyists, and technologists can learn from the past to guide their future efforts.

Please cast you vote here
https://nextgreatsave.nationaltrustcanada.ca/2025/entry/85




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The Battle Harbour Marconi Towers are the last remaining structures of their kind in North America, and potentially the world. These towers once broke the isolation of this remote area by transmitting significant messages, such as Admiral Robert Peary’s 1909 announcement of his North Pole expedition, revolutionizing communication in the process. However, time and climate change have placed them in serious jeopardy.

After enduring over a century of harsh storms, their structural integrity is now threatened as extreme weather conditions intensify. This project is not only about preserving these towers but also about promoting sustainability, craftsmanship, and education. Through environmentally responsible restoration techniques and by involving historians, local communities, and youth, we aim to ensure that their legacy endures. Your support will help protect this irreplaceable landmark and inspire future generations.

Project Impact

Restoring the Battle Harbour Marconi Towers will strengthen community bonds and provide an exceptional learning opportunity for visitors. As coastal sentinels, these towers offer a direct link to history, highlighting the importance of communication in connecting remote communities to the broader world.

This project fosters collaboration with various groups, including local historians and residents, to ensure an inclusive and well-rounded interpretation of the site. Youth will have the chance to engage in hands-on learning about heritage conservation, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern restoration practices.

Local engineering firms will contribute their expertise to the restoration, reinforcing the towers' structural integrity with sustainable materials and advanced preservation methods. The project will also bring economic benefits by boosting local tourism and supporting businesses in an environmentally sustainable manner. By incorporating climate-conscious restoration practices, we aim to protect the towers from further decay while maintaining their historical authenticity. Your vote can help preserve this landmark, enriching the community and ensuring its story endures for generations.

About This Historic Site

Located along the rugged coast of Labrador, the Battle Harbour Marconi Towers are a rare testament to early global communication history. Built in 1904 as part of Newfoundland’s wireless network, they played a crucial role in maritime safety and international messaging. In 1909, the towers transmitted Admiral Robert Peary’s announcement of his successful North Pole expedition, gaining global recognition.

Battle Harbour, a National Historic District, was once a bustling fishing village and a key stop for North Atlantic vessels. Today, it offers visitors a window into the past through its well-preserved buildings and cultural experiences. The Marconi Towers serve as symbols of technological progress, connecting this remote community to the outside world.

Although the towers have withstood over a century of extreme weather, they are now at risk due to climate change and structural degradation. Without intervention, we risk losing a landmark that showcases Canada’s pioneering contributions to global communication.

Our goal is to restore the towers using sustainable materials and expert craftsmanship, ensuring they continue to be a vital part of Battle Harbour’s heritage. With your support, we can preserve this historic site and create a meaningful space for education and discovery.

For more info, check on Facebook the Battle Harbour Historic Trust and don't forget to vote!
https://www.facebook.com/bhhtinc

Thank you to all
VA3ITA ​

 

It definitely needs to be saved it's a national Treasure and was a major advancement in World wide Communications.

I also encourage everyone to cast their vote.


73 from, Steve
The K0UO " Rhombic Antenna Farm" miles of wire in the Air & On the AIR daily

 

Yes, this is very important to our history. Please cast your vote daily.

 

Can I get one to put in my yard?

EDIT : I voted of course

 

Replica scale 1:100 in your backyard ok? Thank you for the vote!

 

I agree, they need to be preserved! To much of our history has been taken down or destroyed. I'm Voting!

 

I feel these deserve to remain in place. They are part of world radio communication history. besides, it would be a good place for someone to build a Sterba curtain or something. !

 

Voted! De VA3LPZ/BI4LPZ

 

I agree, except I think your big Loop has more low angle on a lot of the higher bands than a Sterba curtain. Now a Distributed Feed Curtain DRS is a real curtain!

 

Googling a bit, I see it said that the original towers were wooden. So the towers didn't transmit; an antenna strung between them -- perhaps a paralleled-multiple-wires "flattop" -- did the radiating. Good to find out more about that aspect and add it to the coverage. Possibly many Marconi installations of the day had similar physical plants; even if antenna info particular to Battle Harbour can't be found, details about other Marconi installations from the same period may inform.

Preserve/refurbish them, and then consider once again stringing an antenna between them -- say, a doublet for shortwave usable as T for longwave. Add a permanent commemorative amateur radio station -- Canadian amateurs have 2200 and 630 meters, bands at wavelengths that the BH-towers antenna may generally have used -- and then the site not only stays on the map but once again returns to the air.

 

GREAT !!! I hope they will be saved so many important historical sites are being lost to neglect down here in the US ! they just don't seem to be important to some who could help ! 73 KI6PMD Phil ..

 

Voted! M0CHE

 

what ham would not vote to save these towers??

 

No light atop. Plane could crash into it.

Take 'em down.

Kraus/KC4ZGP

 

Here is a link to the interview on CBC RADIO yesterday morning

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radi...s-battle-harbour-need-help-the-marconi-towers


Folks you can submit one vote a day. If you can, please vote and share the word!
Thank you