The Battle Harbour Marconi Towers (Photo: The National Trust of Canada)
The Battle Harbour Marconi Towers, located on Labrador’s rugged coast, are the last of their kind in North America and possibly the world. Built in 1904, they played a pivotal role in early global communications, notably transmitting Admiral Robert Peary’s 1909 North Pole expedition announcement. However, over a century of harsh weather and the impacts of climate change have left them in disrepair, threatening their survival.
Many thanks to David Iurescia, who notes that The National Trust for Canada’s Next Great Save competition offers a chance to secure $50,000 for the restoration of this historic site. Public voting is open from March 31 to April 17, 2025.
Your support will help ensure that the Battle Harbour Marconi Towers continue to inspire and educate.
Click here to vote now and save the Battle Harbour Marconi Towers: https://nextgreatsave.nationaltrustcanada.ca/2025/entry/85
Nova Scota should build reproduction towers on site and have a picnic table with a weather proof box where coaxial cable connections can be made
The Parks Canada website lists the Marconi Wireless Station National Historic Site near Glace Bay Nova Scotia and mentions the site includes the foundations of aerial towers. Are those Marconi Towers no longer standing?
That is coirrect.
So … I need to know more about these structures. Are they the 1904 towers? Or later replacements? Marconi’s stations of that era were VLF. That’s not a typo – they were down around 17 kHz … think SAQ. There was also lots of associated infrastructure like generators to make power (coal or wood powered maybe oil) as well as transmitter houses and quarters for staff. How much of that is left?
Meanwhile in the UK there’s a lump of concrete: https://youtu.be/lbthFGLM6Kk?si=HwyQM7w6luR87m-C&t=1199
I voted yes. Hope they make it. Should be heavy weather secure. A visitors center would be nice.