We needed approximately $337,000 to purchase the broadcast equipment. We researched many different options to borrow the money, but as with most new business start-ups, we were not able to to secure the funds. We then turned to the people of the Ottawa Valley and requested $1,000 loans at 6% interest.

The Valley people responded and started lending VHR the money required. The board had given the project a deadline of June 2006 to raise the money required or the project would be shut down and all money returned to the lenders.

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The board meeting of June 2006 arrived and the money was not all secured. There was still $30,000 required. A board member mentioned an interest in loaning the balance, but required 24 hours to make arrangements. The decision to shut the project down was postponed until the following day. And we raised enough money! Due to these loans from the people of the Valley and one understanding supplier, the broadcast equipment was ordered.

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A condition of our licence was that we were to be on air no later than September 2006. The provision to apply for an extension was in the decision, so we applied for the extension. We would not be able to get on air by the September deadline as we had to purchase our own tower when the original deal for rental on a nearby tower had fallen apart. Due to this change of tower location we needed to change our antennae specs, and it had to be reordered.

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Valley Heritage radio started broadcasting in test mode for Industry Canada on Dec 11, 2006 and went officially on air on January 15, 2007. The first song ever played on our new station was Vic Garbutt’s Waltz, by Calvin Vollrath. 

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Station history compiled by Jim Long