Journalist, writer.
Born at Winnipeg on 19 July 1934, son of Falek Zolf and Freda Rachel Zolf (c1896-1968), he earned a BA degree from United College and studied history and law at the University of Toronto. While in university at Toronto, he performed stand-up comedy routines in Yorkville nightclubs. His humour was legendary and his sarcasm often bordered on shocking.
In 1962, he starting working at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and was a writer, reporter, host, producer, columnist, and consultant for the network until 2007. He helped to create its controversial current affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days where he gained a reputation for his on-air opinions. His documentary about computers, named one of the 100 best documentaries by the National Film Board, received an Anik Award (1965). He was also a film critic for Maclean's Magazine, a columnist for the National Post, and a lecturer at Carleton University. He wrote many books, including Dance of the Dialectic (1973), Survival of the Fattest (1984), Just Watch Me: Remembering Pierre Trudeau (1984), Scorpions for Sale (1989), and The Dialectical Dancer: A Simple Tale (2010).
He died at Toronto, Ontario on 14 March 2011 and was buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
“Veteran journalist helped create This House TV show,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 2011, page 34.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Jim Ingebrigtsen.
Page revised: 16 June 2022
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