Broadcast engineer.
Born at Winnipeg on 11 June 1923, he was introduced to radio by his neighbour, Douglas Richard Proctor “Darby” Coats. During the Second World War, he served as a radioman in the Royal Canadian Navy (1940-1948) then studied electrical engineering at the University of Manitoba and received an Isbister scholarship.
He began working as a broadcast engineer, first with RCA Victor at Montreal (1953-1959) before transferring back to Winnipeg where he played a role in establishing Winnipeg's first television station, CJAY-TV in November 1960. He started his own consulting business in 1963 and worked for the federal Department of Communications, CRTC, CBC, and Department of National Defence. He retired in January 2003. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Broadcasters Association of Manitoba and was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Around 1953, he married Evelyn Thorvaldson (?-?) and they had a son and a daughter. He was an active skiier and served as President of the University of Manitoba Ski Club and President of the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing. In recognition of his service to the skiing community, he was inducted into the Order of Canada (1986), Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1994), and Manitoba Alpine Skiing Hall of Fame.
He died at Winnipeg on 17 January 2010.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 23 January 2010.
Douglas E. M. Allen (1923-2010), History of Canadian Broadcasting.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 1 July 2023
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