Ontario QSO Party

The Ontario QSO Party (OQP), an annual event, takes place on the third full weekend of April, specifically from 1800Z April 18 to 0300Z April 19, 2026, and 1200Z to 2000Z April 19, 2026. This QSO party encourages stations outside Ontario to contact as many Ontario amateur radio stations as possible, while Ontario stations work both in-province and worldwide. Key rule changes for 2026 include phone QSOs now counting equally with CW QSOs (2 points), the introduction of VE3RHQ as a bonus station, a 250m county line proximity definition, and a new Fixed County Line Category, alongside an adjustment of contest times.

Established in 1998 by Bob Chandler VE3SRE, the OQP has been managed by Contest Club Ontario (CCO) since 2006. The event contributes to the State QSO Party Challenge, offering various award categories and maintaining records of past performance. Participants can submit activation plans, review Ontario multipliers, and access county maps. Final results and certificate winners are published, and a dedicated groups.io discussion group facilitates community interaction and support for logging software.