A well known Victoria DX'er is reporting that the CBC has confirmed that CBU's shortwave repeater, CKZU, will not be returning to the airwaves ever again, following a transmitter failure.
What is unclear at this point is whether the CRTC has reviewed the matter, as they have the final say. When the CBC planned to pull the plug on CBU-AM and add a few FM transmitters, the CRTC denied the application, citing the number of people who currently received CBU but would not get a listenable signal from any of the proposed and existing FM transmitters carrying Radio One.
On the other hand, I have difficulty believing that CKZU has many regular listeners these days. Many, that is, that cannot get Radio One from another source.
From what I can tell, there are currently only three radio stations in Canada with shortwave transmitters: CFCN Calgary, CFRB Toronto and CBN St. John's, Newfoundland. From what I have read, Radio Canada International no longer has any transmitters located in Canada.
Beginning at the end of World War II, and into the late 1950s, most Canadian stations got rid of their shortwave repeater transmitters. I was surprised to learn, a few years ago, that CJCA actually ran on two different shortwave frequencies at one point, switching from one to the other to ensure Skywave ("Skip") coverage to the North at almost all hours of the day. One frequency skipped during Daylight and the other during Darkness.