As far as history goes, the British Columbia QSO Party�originally, the BC QSO Challenge�hasn�t got a long one. It began with a suggestion by Scott Robbins, VE7CCY in 2005 to members of the Delta Amateur Radio Society for a casual event that would promote on-air activity in BC.

The objective was for VE7/VA7 stations to work anyone in the 36 federal electoral districts of BC, as well as the other Canadian provinces, US states and DX countries, and for stations outside BC to work only VE7/VA7 stations. While the rules have been tweaked a bit over the years, the objective has remained the same.

Through the dedicated efforts of the contest committee, the BCQP gradually attracted a higher profile. And as more people became aware of the contest, participation grew.

The organizers realized that the BCQP had potential when it was added to the list of QSO parties supported by N1MM Logger, effective from the 2010 event, and later CQ/X logging software for mobile stations. The N3FJP state QSO party logging program also supports the BCQP.”

In October 2011, the BCQP was picked up by the Orca DX and Contest Club, the perfect sponsor for a home-grown contest. This change in sponsorship bodes well for the future of the BCQP, providing a deep reservoir of contesting experience and expertise for success�a whale of a good time awaits.

BCQP 2012 was the first under Orca DXCC sponsorship and was, by all accounts, a tremendous success. The most encouraging indicator of progress was the huge increase in VE7/VA7s on the air -- tripling year-on-year, to more than 120 -- as well as more electoral districts activated, 26 of 36. With more BC operators on the air and a deeper reservoir of multipliers to tap, along with a QSO boost from same-day QSO party activity in the US, the time flew by. It was a great day in front of the radio.

A plaque program was introduced the following year, 2013, with the support of clubs and individuals. There are currently 10 sponsored categories: Top YL, Top BC single-op, Top BC multi-op, Top US, Top Canada outside BC, Top DX, Top Mixed Mode, Top CW, Most Federal Districts Contacted and Top Club in BC.

The State QSO Party Challenge debuted in 2020, with the BCQP included as one of three QSO parties to kick off this annual, year-long competition.