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Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006
Reader tributes to Peter Gzowski
Part 1
What did Peter Gzowski mean to me? How can I possibly count the number of ways he enriched my life? I believe he created a dialog amongst Canadians across the country: enabling us to understand each other just a little bit better; encouraging us to question each other and more importantly question our own beliefs and assumptions; making it not only acceptable, but joyful to proclaim we are Canadian and yes, that makes us unique. I have missed his wonderful voice and daily presence in my kitchen, car and bedroom for several years; now I shall miss the comfort that he is still with us caring about and questioning the wonders of the world. Today I cry for the loss of Peter Gzowski to this country, but am thankful to have spent so much time with him. I never met or spoke to him, but will always consider him one of my closest friends.
Judy Baldwyn
Calgary
Peter, you were in my kitchen with me as I baked muffins and in my car with me as I drove my daughter to school. No matter where I was in those days or what chore I was performing, because of you, my environment was thought-provoking and expansive. I was informed, entertained and probably like many other Canadian women, a little in love. Although I had never met you, I felt like I knew you and that you knew me. Although I never met you, you warmed my heart and challenged my mind. Peter, although I never met you, I will miss and remember you.
Rosalie Dalfen
Niagara Falls
An important exercise to discern what Peter Gzowski means to me. (I can't use past tense just yet). One only has to listen to his intelligent voice to recognize that by an accident of birth she is fortunate to be Canadian. But, most of all, Peter Gzowski reminds me that each stage in life has purpose. For a new mother in 1972, "This Country in the Morning" made staying at home the right choice. His promotion of literacy and Canadian Literature made me eager to return to my career as an English teacher; his writing and "Morningside" confirmed my thirty year career. And, now, retired barely six months, his memory urges me to find a new challenge to champion the country and its words he loved. I smile today knowing another accident of birth allows me to share his birthday. Growing old will be easier now.
Barbara Carter
Kitchener, On
Peter's was that voice in my kitchen every morning when I was a stay-at-home mom with young children. Morningside became a ritual, and when we moved away to the United States for a time, I really missed having him as part of my day. He was truly a part of so many Canadians' day ...he connected with us all and made us feel proud of our country. No individual nor issue was insignificant to him.
Susan Mathia
Milton, Ontario
I read of Peter Gzowski's illness this a.m. in the St. Petersburg Times, Fl. I am sorry to see he has passed away.
Sybil Price
Redington Beach., Florida
Maybe its too early to raise this but in the midst of all the santification let's not forget that this was a man who literally smoked himself to death. Mr. G would not want us to forget that.
RM
Peter Gzowski showed us that it was alright to be passionate about Canada and being Canadian and was the glue that helped hold us together.
Brian Harper
What did Peter Gzowski mean to me? Some random thoughts...He helped me understand what being "Canadian" is, a feeling I still carry with me today (and I truly credit him for that). He was what got me "into" the CBC as a young adult...in university, when I had mornings free to listen to him, I used to think, "Peter Gzowski for Prime Minister"...he brought the country together in a way I didn't think possible. He was so sharp, so well-informed, so down-to-earth...he was someone you'd wish you could have over for dinner. Hearing his voice again this morning, like that of a long-lost friend, I realized that was indeed what he had meant to me. He will be truly missed.
O. Wallace
Montreal, Quebec
Peter seemed larger then life to me when I was a young "minion" at Key Publishers. I was always very chuffed that Peter would take the time out of, what I imagined was an "intensive ongoing inner monologue" to speak to me as I sat at the switchboard or ran into him while getting coffee. He was a comfort and will be missed nation-wide.
DK
It was a bitter, but appropriate irony learning of the passing of Peter Gzowski while driving my car. My stepfather used to tell me of growing up with Peter in Galt Ontario. He would encourage me to listen to him. I of course could not envision listening to Peter Gzowski, let alone CBC - it was for old people. Upon graduating from University, I began to work in sales for my stepfather's manufacturing firm. I was on the road a great deal of the time. Traveling the highways of Ontario, I discovered Peter Gzowski - and discovered Canada. As someone who hates traffic and despises driving, Morningside, and Peter kept me safe, sane and whole. He was not just a distraction from the stress of driving, he was an excuse to drive. I remember learning to dread summers when he was off the air, and eagerly anticipated September when another season Morningside would begin it's annual exploration of Canada. Morningside for me was a post graduate study on my Country. Because of Professor Gzowski and his team, anywhere I went in Canada, I felt at home. Through him I learned of Stan Rogers, green tomato chutney, that political foes could be personal friends, and that the seemingly mundane can be exceedingly interesting. Jean Vanier said "Each of us has an instrument to bring to the vast orchestra of humanity and each of us needs help to become all that we might be". Peter conducted, composed, and sometimes he just hummed along with the rest of us. He helped us all, and we are infinitely better because of him.
Don Seymour
Petrolia, ON
In the spring of 1974, I took a job on a farm. At that time I was a young university student who thought radio was only useful for listening to rock and roll. Most of the spring that year I spent on a tractor plowing fields. Fortunately the tractor had a radio but I soon tired of rock and roll. At the suggestion of my boss I tuned into CBC to listen to This Country in the Morning. The mornings now became something to which I would look forward. Certainly I had to be in the tractor by 9 a.m. and would not stop until noon. Peter Gzowski introduced me not only to many unknown aspects of this country but also to the magic of radio. A medium where ideas stand only as a product of words - without any visual enhancements save one's own imagination. Peter Gzowski was indeed a Canadian icon. Like Rocket Richard, Pierre Trudeau, Mordecai Richler, Gilles Villeneuve, and Barbara Frum, he helped many of us (particularly those of us who are immigrants) to define ourselves as Canadian. And I, like many, will miss him.
Dermod Mark
Guelph, Ont.
In the 1980's my job required a fair bit of travel around Southern Ontario. Gzowski and Morningside became a staple. I scheduled my days so that I could hear as much of the program as possible. His voice and his spirit resonated through my car and through my life ever since. Peter Gzowski gave me a sense of this country and what it means to be Canadian. He brought issues of the day into focus. He revealed the everyday man in national figures. He introduced me to common Canadians from sea to sea to sea and I marvelled at their eloquence as they talked about the cod fishery, or their struggles with cancer, or baking apple pies. I loved the weekly panel of political pundits. I loved it when he got the Premier of P.E.I. to talk enthusiastically about his recipe for the world's best Caesar Salad. Every show was interesting. When a topic of discussion seemed mundane, Peter's inquiries revealed unusual people or unconsidered perspectives. Bravo. Thanks. God Bless.
R. J. Campbell
Toronto
A huge hole has been left in the country. This is the man who spoke to me, as he did to so many of us, as a friend. He did it a way that no one else seems capable of. He respected the listener and the interviewee. He was not one who felt his role as interviewer needed constant and excessive overstatement. We all knew who he was and we didn't need further self-advertisement. Neither did he. His gentle humour, skill at drawing others out of themselves, ability to knit the country together in a thousand subtle ways, and his passion for Canada ... all of these were products of his humility which made him such a powerful presence in our collective mind. As with the passing of Mordecai Richler last year, Peter will be sorely missed.
Mike MacNeil
I already miss his Saturday columns. I wondered why he wasn't in last Saturday's Focus section. Now I know.
Janice Marr
Born in Toronto in 1953 - my first trip to St. John's Newfoundland was in the mid 1980's and I walked up Signal Hill whereup arriving at the top a radio was on and the employees at the top of Signal Hill were listening to Peter Gzowski and Morningside. I knew I was experiencing at that very time a real Canadian moment - Peter's voice and his message were my link from coast to coast. I was proud to be a Canadian.
Ginny Medland Green
I suspect a lot of people are struggling for words and will over the next few days. How do you express what a man like Peter Gzowski meant to you? Early Thursday evening, I was upstairs and heard my husband come through the door. He turned on the radio downstairs which, at first, I thought was odd because he never does that. Oh well, I reasoned, he was probably listening to something on the radio and wanted to hear the end of it. As I began listening more closely, I heard Stuart McLean's voice. Oh my God. In a moment, I knew. He was gone. Peter, I call him Peter, even though I didn't know him, nor did I ever meet him, was like family. In fact, he was probably more like a member of the family than a real family member. Those of you who listened to him know what I mean. That's what he meant to me. He came into our lives every day for three straight hours - how many of our family members do that? I can't remember how many times I waited until the last possible moment to hear the end of an interview on Morningside before dashing off to a meeting (yes, he was sometimes even more important than work!) or to turn off my car's engine to go into a store or to some other appointment. Admit it, you've done it too. It wasn't just his voice, although that was certainly compelling. It was the curiosity his voice evoked and his sheer joy and persistence in exploring everything, and anything, from cucumbers to the Constitution. Close your eyes and you can still hear him. That's what he meant to me. Finally, to Peter's family, my sincerest condolences. Many Canadians' thoughts are steadfastly with you as well. Take heart.
Susan Scott
Oshawa, Ontario
The late, great voice of a nation. I never knew Peter Gzowski, yet I felt I did. I think that's the quality, the magic which endeared him to Canadians. It was a quality of voice. Literally, of course. His reverberated, deep like a saxophone. Like Leonard Cohen talking through a harmonica. And it was warm--an invaluable trait in a country as cold as ours can be. But his personal reverberance was a quality of voice in the broadest sense, as in "to have found one's voice." I grew up listening to Gzowski in Calgary, far from the dreaded East out of which he hosted "Morningside." And I recall thinking again and again (the thought itself reverberating). Here is a talk show host who lets others do the talking. Here is someone who listens--an invaluable trait in a country as cold as ours can be. Now I live in Tokyo, Japan, a country whose homogeny can hardly be exaggerated, where officials public and private, even the media, go to great pains to speak with a single voice. Looking back fondly at the mish-mash that is my home and native land, Gzowski's true gift becomes clear. Not that he gave Canada a single voice, nor that he unified its disparate voices by some ventriloquist's trick. His magic was genuine. He used the warmth of his voice to unfreeze our own, to encourage us to speak, and with integrity. When he posed his poignant yet unpretentious questions, we felt he was speaking not only for us but talking directly to us. And that in turn enabled us to feel we could speak to him--back through the radio as if by magic--and in doing so to all who were listening.He helped us find our own voices, to identify ourselves as well as identify with each other--so that all our voices reverberated in true Canadian harmony.
Jeff Richmond
The first time I heard him I became an instant fan and when he left the air, I knew I had lost a friend. I listened to Morningside whenever I had the chance. He radiated warmth, humour and intelligence and had the knack of making everyone feel special. He was a true Canadian and loved this country.
Penny Coghlan
Who will ever forget Peter's Red River Flood Relief broadcast? No one, absolutely no one could have been so successful in bringing so many of our stars together on short notice, from all over the world, to raise money for the folks in Manitoba. And no one could have carried it off in such a peculiarly "Canadian" way. How many listeners wiped tears of pride from their eyes when they heard that Acadian band from New Brunswick (Landry, Leblanc?) perform a specially worded version, cajun style, of "The Red River Valley". In a country often besot with regional and linguistic bickering Gzowski gave us glimpses of what might be, if we could just get along with each other and all pull on the same end of the rope.
Keith Plowman
Bradenton, FL
I was very saddened to hear of the death of Peter Gzowski. For me, I knew that no matter how far away from home I was, I could always turn on the radio and listen to "Mr. Canada" and feel like I was home again. He had a talent for making his listeners feel like he was talking to them as individuals. I think he made a lot of Canadians feel like it was okay to be proud of our country. But even more than that to boast about how wonderful this country is and to appreciate the many opportunities available to us by living here.
Mrs. Kandice Cann
Tantramar Regional High School Librarian
Sackville, New Brunswick
Peter Gzowski was everyman's true Canadian. His melodious voice filled our airwaves with people and places that we never knew could even interest us, but suddenly, we were held in rapture. I raced to the Focus page to devour his thoughts first thing on Saturday mornings. His lasting legacy will affect my family directly, for his Globe article on "How to Quit Smoking...Notes from the Belly of the Beast" had a profound effect on both of my teenagers, and for that alone, I will be eternally grateful.
Pam Freedman
Toronto
I think we should remember Peter by having an unofficial holiday where we wear cords and fishermen knit sweaters to work or celebrate his life in the way American's celebrate Martin Luther King and read books to children or make some other personal and meaningful contribution to society. Or, perhaps we could remember him by coining a new term, "How very Gzowski of you". Just my thoughts on ways to remember him.
Christopher Perry
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
I can't remember exactly when I started listening to Morningside on a regular basis. I do remember that by the time I had hit my late teens and early twenties I was a regular CBC listener and I haven't stopped listening for the past ten years. What I remember most, in those years, is the impression that Peter Gzowski had flung open for me the doors to the rest of Canada. As a young Anglophone growing up in Montreal, he cemented for me my identity as a Canadian. He made me feel part of a wide, diverse, unique culture. It is thanks to him, and to others at the CBC who have filled his shoes, that wherever I travel in this country, I feel at home.
Sean Davidson
Toronto
In 1985 I moved from Montreal to GALT, Ontario. I was in love - but it did not take long for me to become lonely!!! And then, I heard Peter Gzowski on the CBC's Morningside. Peter became my lifeline to Quebec, my informer, my history teacher and my friend. My mornings were filled with his familiar and warm voice; I appreciated his informal approach to on-air conversation - like a friend -; his broad knowledge of past and current affairs, I became a Canadian with Peter - the professor and the journalist - ; and most of all, he kept me in touch with what was happening at home, with regular guests and commentators from Quebec. The saddest day for me was when he went off the air. Now I am saddened for his family and friends. Thank you Peter.
Suzanne Dansereau,
A Canadian Quebecer, living in Galt, Ontario
Au revoir Peter. We never met in person, but we talked, argued and listened to each other for years. As a proud Canadian, you made me even more aware of our unique country from coast to coast. Morningside covered all kinds of topics with humour, depth and sensitivity. You were my source of much information. We miss you. Thank you.
Judy Cathcart
I emigrated to Canada in the late seventies, a brash twenty-something from London, England, oblivious to the physical scope and cultural nuances of this country. It was Peter Gzowski and "Morningside" that gave me the perspective I needed to become the Canadian I am today and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you Mr. Gzowski.
Rachel Neville-Fox.
As a Canadian living abroad, I was much grieved to hear of the passing of Mr.Gzowski, particularly as I am not there to grieve with the rest of the nation. My memories of Morningside are a child's memories. I am 28 and was fortunate enough to grow up in a home without a television. My mother, self-employed at home, would have Morningside tuned in every morning. As a child I once imagined that that kind voice over the radio and the deep throaty laugh could only belong to a great child hero such as Santa Clause. Who else could inspire a child to pick up a book, open an atlas, read their first newspaper or play their first classical album, just by being on the radio. As a teen, I was not a good student and was frequently late for school. This afforded me more opportunities to catch that wonderful voice and joyful laugh. I would like to thank Mr.Gzowski's family for sharing him with Canada. I feel privileged to have "known" him, the radio presenter, the man, the Canadian.
Lenore Ozolins
Formerly of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Currently Manchester, England
In the 19th century, our forefathers toiled mightily to build a ribbon of steel that helped stitch together the noble experiment we call Canada. In his own way, Peter Gzowski was an electronic ribbon of steel -- one that informed and entertained -- to keep us together as a nation. I missed him greatly after the day of his last Morningside broadcast. He's at a new network upstairs now, whose call letters are coincidentally the same CBC: Christian Broadcasting Corporation...
Ron Dennis
Hamilton, Ontario
Ian Brown said it all for me. He captured Peter perfectly. Peter was so interested in everything and everybody. And I, too, like thousands of others, would sometimes sit in my car, parked, listening and not willing to turn off the radio, turn off the car and get on with it. Because it was all so engaging. Especially Stephen Lewis, Dalton Camp and Eric Kierans -- and Peter. I still miss Barbara Frum. And now, Peter. More than anyone else, ever, he connected us, all of us; he made us proud of our country and proud to be Canadians and the sadness and loss is unfathomable. Thousands and thousands of stories. Our stories. Our country.
Michaele-Sue Goldblatt
Toronto
To all Canadians: "One day it was suddenly revealed to me that everything is pure spirit": Ramkvishna. Today I feel this very keenly having heard about Peter Gzowski dying January 24, 2002 - he was pure spirit. My sincere sympathy to his family from a Nova Scotian.
Diane Das
It was in 1987 and I was slagging my first book about the Canadian grain business. I decided the only way to get Peter's attention was to present him with my book directly. So I "happened" to run into him at the University of Toronto bookstore where he was slagging his own book. I approached him. He stared at me over his glasses and said: "You know this isn't how these things are done." "If my publisher sent this to the CBC it would've ended up on a big pile. Correct?" I asked, somewhat nervously. He stared at me again for a moment. "Okay, let's have a look at it." This was on a Saturday. The following Monday, he started off the Morningside show with the story of meeting me and sure enough mentioned the book. It was almost as good as being interviewed.
Allan Levine
Winnipeg
I became a Gzowski devotee after the birth of my son. Isolated at home caring for an infant, "This Morning" became my lifelife connecting me to the world. I never returned to the office and Peter was my daily companion until his retirement. He taught me more about my country than all the Canadian Studies courses I took as an undergraduate at York. He led me to read books, listen to music, understand issues, and know personalities I would never have encountered without him. He broadened my horizons in many ways and nurtured my pride in being Canadian. Thank you Peter.
Helen Matheson
Westmount, QC
Were it not for Gzowski, I would never have been aware of many important Canadians that have contributed to shaping the artistic, political, and cultural landscape of this country. It was always a comfort to tune into Morningside and learn of a special person of whom I had never heard, or be provided a greater insight into the character of a prominent Canadian with whom I was already familiar. The way in which Gzowski brought giants down to earth reminds me of the Kipling line: "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch ... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!" And that he truly was.
Charles LeBoutillier
Toronto
I appeared in Peter's first This Country book, sat beside him at the head table at an MS fundraiser in Antigonish, introduced him at an author's breakfast in Halifax. But the real Peter for me was the gentle voice on my radio, introducing me to my sister and brother Canadians across this amazing country. I remember a contest, the purpose of which was to complete the phrase: "As Canadian as..." The winner was "As Canadian as possible, under the circumstances." But I believe that what each of us needs to strive for is to be as Canadian as Peter Gzowski...courteous, funny, smart, generous, interested, enthusiastic, and in love with This Country.
Janet Murray
Halifax
He was the tie that binds . He tied us to Camp, Kierans and Lewis .He tied us to Stuart McLean and Shelagh Rogers. He tied us to books and cooks, writers and politicians, to our neighbours . He tied me to friends and family . Wherever I lived, in whichever province, his voice told me that I was home, that I belonged .
Marian Parker
Oakville, Ontario
Peter Gzowski was my constant companion while at home raising two young children. He was the link with the workings of life outside my suddenly limited sphere. I will never forget his last Morningside broadcast where he rallied for flood victims in Manitoba. I had teary eyes for 4 hours. What a Canadian he was.
Joanne Fagotto
Oakville, Ontario
I was privileged to be able to stay at home to raise my children and Peter was my constant companion in the morning. His subjects and interviews were always interesting, informative and entertaining. I heard his first "Morningside" broadcast and watched his last broadcast. Having had the privilege of listening to him so much I felt extremely informed about Canada even though I live in a small town and at that time we were only receiving the local newspaper. Now that he is gone I feel every Canadian has lost a close personal friend. So long Peter. It was great knowing you.
Pronica Janikowski
Picton, Ontario
I've been fortunate enough to have travelled the world and yet the trip I will remember most was a long, rich drive from Vancouver to Toronto in the spring of 1997. My companion on that amazing journey was Peter Gzowski broadcasting his final few Morningside shows from my province of birth Saskatchewan. Indeed, passing through Moose Jaw that week took on an additional significance. But it was in northern Ontario during the final minutes of that final broadcast that I had pull my car off the road for a good cry. I suspect that the shoulders of many a road across this country were groaning that morning with more parked cars than usual as drivers everywhere choked back the tears. Peter, you were a national treasure.
Jack Neary
I cannot begin to tell you how much Peter Gzowski and Morningside has meant to me--an immigrant--over the years. As far as I'm concerned, Gzowski + Morningside = Canada 101. That says it all.
Tony Hirons
Peter Gzowski to me is the only living "Father of Condederation" that I have known. His love for this country and it's people make me proud to be Canadian
Leslie Keirstead
Saint John, New Brunswick
It is with great sadness I write these few lines. Peter Gzowski is a great teacher to all "new Canadians". Listening to him on the radio gave me so many ideas to explore. When I finally went to University in the 1990's, (after working for 22 years as a typesetter), it was Peter's interviews with Professor Michael Bliss and other Canadians which provided me with some sort of guide. I finally graduated with a degree in Canadian History. Peter's discussions on many subjects clarified many issues for me. His sensitivity to others who cannot put their thoughts on paper did not matter. He always found their voice in another medium. And by the way, I, too, share his birthday July 13. May cherished memories of Mr. Gzowski give you and all who will be reading these few lines including his family give peace, strength and comfort in your time of need. Mr. Gzowski's legacy has given light where once there was darkness and hope where once there was despair for everyone who cannot read.
Camille Alexander
When Peter Gzowski was host of Morningside CBC Radio was on upstairs and downstairs in my home as I did my chores each morning. It took me a long time to learn to pronounce his name correctly, but I connected with his spirit and eloquence without difficulty. He taught me so much about Canada and made me (Irish born) proud to have become a Canadian. I cried on his last day on Morningside and I am crying as I write this. Sic Transit Gloria!
Nora Smyth
Oakville, Ont.
Well, Peter, you did it again this morning. As I rounded the corner a block from the school where I teach, CBC Radio 1 started to air the introduction to your final Morningside broadcast in '97. So, like so many other times, I sat in a parking lot, waiting for you. I envision thousands of others doing the same.
Ramona Matthews
Etobicoke, ON
Like many, many others, I listened to Peter regularly on Morningside for years. I always harboured the secret hope that one day I would do something just famous enough to be interviewed on Peter's program and when he retired from Morningside in 1997, I was sure that dream had been dashed. In June, 2000, I received my Bachelor of Arts from Trent University. There on the stage, waiting to shake my hand, was Peter Gzowski, Chancellor of Trent. That day I was famous only in the eyes of my children and friends who watched proudly from the audience but I still felt that I had finally got my interview, even if it was only a minute long, laughing a joke he told just for me. Thank you Peter.
Joeann Argue
Peter Gzowski showed me the Canada, our people, that I have learned to love
John Langton
Delhi,On
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