A note about call signs:  Point Grey's original call sign was PGD.  An international conference was convened around 1913 to try and bring some semblance of order on the airwaves.  One of the decisions was to give each country a block, or blocks of call sign prefixes, and Canada could use, amongst others, those beginning with VAA to VGZ.  Thus a radio operator could note the call sign of the signal he hears, and referring to a list, determine the country to which that station belonged. Thus Point Grey changed from PGD to VAB. 

   Since the new station at the Merchant's Exchange was designated to handle the ship commercial traffic instead of Point Grey, it made sense to move VAB over here.  The closed Ikeda's call sign VAI was re-assigned to Point Grey and that station carried on communicating with local vessels such as the fishing fleet, tug boats, government vessels, lighthouses, logging camps etc.

   The 1936 International Telecommunication Union call sign distribution can be seen here.  Keep in mind it changes over the years due to countries coming and going.  (And those of you who live in the Vancouver, BC Canada area may wonder why the Canadian Broadcasting's station at 690 kHz uses the call sign CBU, which is in the block assigned to Chile.  I'll find out, but I did know at one time :-(  )


   I'm going to speculate why this station was built.  The Point Grey station was several miles from the downtown business district.  The Merchants Exchange was a building containing offices for the shipping agencies and commercial traders.  Since a vast number of commercial messages arriving from vessels to the Point Grey station/VAB were addressed to offices in the Merchant's Exchange it was decided to expedite the handling of these particular messages by installing a coast station right in the Merchant's Exchange building.  This removed any delay and overhead costs that the intervening CPR landline telegraph interposed.  As far as a deep sea vessels was concerned there was no change, but on the shore side there was a reduction in costs and a more effecient message handling.  Ikeda's old callsign of VAI was dusted off and re-assigned to Point Grey.  Point Grey then handled the local shipping, coastal point to point, and weather traffic.

 

1910   Shipping and traders met in the Board of Trade rooms.


1914  Exchange is moving from 349 Homer Street to room 105-350 West Hastings (Winch Building).

 

1921   In April the Exchange is considering the installation of a Marconi wireless station. June 15 the Exchange moves into the ground floor of the Metropolitan Building on Hastings Street, Vancouver. A further note says the station was moved from a shack on the topmost floor to the first floor on the 18th, no reason given although they are proud of their "modern wireless station".  Most likely the Point Grey call sign VAB was moved over at this time.  Point Grey was re-issued the call sign of the defunct Ikeda station--VAI.  July 13, 1921 the station worked the SS Makura 3720 miles south of Honolulu (6000 miles distant)--amazing for a station in the middle of downtown Vancouver.


    Working vessels 3000 miles out and topped that in July by contacting the S.S. Makura 6000 miles out.  Night shift operator as well.  1600 Watt transmitter.

1922  The station as it was in the Metropolitan Building.

1923   A purpose built home for the Merchants' Exchange.  Corner of Howe and West Hastings Streets, Vancouver.  Station had a good range--January 26 she worked the "City of Victoria" 100 miles north east of Cape Maysion on the Cuban coast; Cacique in Chesapeake Bay bound for Baltimore; Caroline 73 miles south of the Diamond Shoals lightship (off North Carolina).

1923  Operator W. Trickner at his post in the rear corner.


1924  New transmitter on order for the station the1924 Province paper reports. (Bottom of article.)

This 1925 photo shows Jim Harker at the controls of the new Marconi 1600 Watt radiophone intalled in May.  The towboat operators were quick to outfit their vessels with this new tool.  Some 30 tugs were fitted before the year was out. Len Crow is assistant.  Willoughby departs station to operate on the Empress of Australia.  (Willoughby operated at VAB for "some time".

 

1926   Victoria Daily Colonist March 28, 1926 E.J. Haughton interview portion:   "A new 1,600 watt shipstation was opened in Vancouver City in October last.This station is situated in the Merchants Exchange Building and only attends to ship's messages, the station at Point Grey now handling traffic to such points as Powell River, Ocean Falls, Queen Charlotte Islands, etc."

 

1928  Station is fitted with a radio telephone transceiver.  Local vessels could install a simple to use 50 watt transceiver and many did.  Transmitted on 199 Meters (1500 kHz) 

 

1930  Transmitters removed from building.  Station moves to the new Marine Building and now remotely controls transmitters out at the new transmitter site on Lulu Island.  Two frequencies noted 600 and 706 meters.  (500 kHz and 425 kHz)  Point Grey transmitters are now housed in the same building.

 
1936  ITU List of Coast Stations:  CW A1 13330 kHz  CW A2 390 kHz & 500 kHz  Voice (A3) 1630 kHz

 

1938  Tommy Raine retires as the OIC.

 
1975   The Merchants' Exchange as an entity ceased operations.  Over the years the various traders within the exchange had prospered and outgrew the premises and set up offices on their own. When the radio station was removed has not been determined.
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Merchant's Exchange/VAB