TELECOMMUNICATIONS SEMINAR
by NORTHERN TELECOM (1973)
    at Le Chateau Montebello, Quebec, Canada

Vern, Chief Outside Plant Engineer for Northwestern Telephone Company of Freeport, Illinois.
attended this seminar to keep up to date on PLANT PROBLEMS and OPPORTUNITIES.

Vern's trip entailed flying to Montreal from Chicago, driving to Montebello for the three day conference,
driving on to Ottawa, visiting Bell Labs, flying to Toronto and on to Chicago.
The driving and instructing was by Bell Research employees Jim Kyles and Bill Moss.
Three items of knowledge has remained in Vern's Memory
1. At Bell Labs it was demonstrated how current bonding devices were not adequate. The connections to cable sheaths had poor or high joints and would actually catch fire when a high current passed through them.
2. Engineer, Jack Pritchard from the British Post office described the first cable ever made, as used for communications in the Artic, was found still be in good working order in 1959. It was used by Scott 48 years earlier and was perhaps actually layed in 1837. The cold dryness preserved it.
3. Jack Pritchard distributed a 24 page booklet published by the British Post Office. The English version of the Serving Area Interface was featured as displayed on the cover - left.
Page 12 had their Cross Connexion Strip pictured. The description is real confusing so is not covered here.
Jack was an interesting guy. He and Vern had to stay over night in Ottawa before their flights home. To save expenses, they shared a hotel room for the night. To kill time they took a late night walk through the city. Not far away they were approched by two real good looking ladies who offer their company. They said they were airline flight attendants.

Vern enjoyed curling.
It was played barns where they opened big doos to let the cold in.


The mighty monument to Canada' Indian overlooking Parliment Hill and the Rideau Canal, OTTAWA.


Vern received this certificate:


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