A series of crackly pips and beeps broadcast to radios across Canada outlasted two monarchs, 13 prime ministers, 27 sessions of parliament and various fractures to national unity. They provided a comfort to citizens abroad, and inspired music and art.
But last week, after 84 years, Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC, announced the termination of its official time signal, abruptly ending the longest running radio programme in the country’s history. The news broke in a manner similar to the