Monday Museum Moment: Chilliwack Radio

Off the Ground and Into the Air: Early History of CHWK Radio

What comes first, the radio or the radio station? That is the type of chicken-or-egg question that Casey Wells and Jack Menzies attempted to solve in 1927. How do you sell a radio to the public without a radio station for them to listen to? 

If you are Casey Wells and Jack Menzies, the answer is simple: you build a radio station. 

Transmission equipment could be challenging to come by in 1920s Chilliwack, but luckily, Casey had a lead. He had been a fan of radio transmission since the sinking of the Titanic and had been amazed that help could be called over a long distance with “just a little spark going through the air”. Casey knew of a ham radio operator in Mission named Earl Streeter and with a bit of persuasion (and capital from his father), Case was able to coax Streeter into selling him his entire operation. Consisting of wire, a surplus transmitter from a submarine from the Great War and more, the set up was loaded up into his Model-T. Soon, Casey was on his way back home to Chilliwack with the parts of what would become Chilliwack’s first radio station in tow. 

Casey and Jack set up the radio station on the second floor of Menzies Hardware, then located on Wellington Avenue. A small fledgling station at the start – their transmitter operated with just 5 watts – Casey hosted an hour-long session each day, running a mixed program that included music, chat and broadcasting local news. In their excitement to create the station, the duo did not obtain a license until after the radio station was already in operation, drawing some light ire from the Dominion of Canada’s Marine and Fisheries Department. Nonetheless, CHWK was off the ground running and they received their permit. 

For a period of time, Casey was the only employee at CHWK and alternated his time between the radio station and working at Menzies. Balancing these duties was a challenge, however years of perseverance and dedication (not to mention the hiring of additional employees like Jack Pilling, a radio repair man and fill-in host for CHWK when needed) made the CHWK radio venture profitable. 

The station has undergone several changes over time, including multiple changes in ownership, a change in call sign, a switch from AM to FM and vastly improved transmission capabilities. Today, what used to be CHWK radio operates as Star FM under ownership of Rogers Media Inc. 

Here’s a recent talk from the previous Station Manager at 89.5 The Drive, Kevin Gemmell: