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Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006
Reader tributes to Peter Gzowski
Part 5
There were few things I missed terribly when I took up a contract with SBM (IBM) in Saudi Arabia. Peter's show was one of them. Globe and Mail, CBC's Ideas and Peter's Mansbridge news were another. After migrating to Canada from Pakistan, I acquired the innate understand, respect and love of Canada and Canadians with Pete Gzowski, his diversified host and dynamic topic he covered in his shows. Whether it was religion, multicultural, Ottawa's polices, Quebec separation, Gulf war, Naphtha, etc., he knew the issues and brought the best people to demystify the topics for Canadian. He was more than a journalist, objective and compassionate character emanated nothing but love for Canada and Canadian. The future immigrants just would never know what it is like listening to Peter and his great host like Haroon, Barbara, Richard, and this regular host lady news paper Journalist from Quebec( I am missing her name) and others. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to share me view from 1000's of mile away. Still Reading The Globe and Mail over the net,
Nasir Ali-Mohammed
Saudi Arabia
Peter Gzowski was an important part of my childhood. My family has never owned a TV, and so we listened to the radio a great deal. His rich voice was a welcome and enjoyable part of being at home, in the kitchen, listening to the world around us.
Andi Argast
Peter Gzowski was as much a part of my morning as my first cup of coffee and vitamins. Every weekday, I would deliberately take my time getting to work until I had my Morningside fix: "Hello, I am Peter Gzowski and this is Morningside." He was a man of great intellect, passion and humour and I can say that I will always remember his voice and his stories. He will be sorely missed by all Canadians who were privileged to have heard him on radio or met him in person.
Tom Gussman
Ottawa
Peter was a paradox. In my arrogant youth, I dismissed him as a hayseed popularizer before I realized his joking manner hid the seriousness of the person. Peter always treated books and things Canadian with utmost seriousness, as if they mattered, and he enjoyed himself doing it. This gave me, along with everyone, the permission to enjoy ourselves in the same way too. And he had this unnerving trick on air. Interivewed in his studio, I was always sure he didn't like what I was saying. The air felt dead, dead, and I would dig a little deeper to come up with something interesting. Later, when I heard the broadcast, I would be amazed at how congenial and fascinated he sounded with me. You'd never know it felt like ice facing him across the microphone.
Susan Swan
It's taken me the better part of a day to realize why I was so shocked to find out he had died. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had always assumed that one day I would meet him, and he and I would have a grand conversation. He would take a kindly interest in me and ask questions in such a way that I would end up sounding and feeling wise and erudite. This is what he did countless times with countless guests for those 15 or so years on Morningside. It was quite an accomplishment.
Andy Bryce
They say that bad news comes in threes. Yesterday we lost a Canadian icon. He didn't like that term because icons fall off the wall and break. Peter fell off the wall but he didn't break. Less than two weeks ago, we lost Frank Schuster, a man who, with his partner Johnny Wayne, made us laugh for decades. In September, 2001, we lost Mr. Dress up, Ernie Coombs, who spoke gently to our children and to many of their parents as both kids and Moms and Dads grew up. We were lucky. We had all three of these very special, very human, people with us in our homes or cars for what we felt should be forever. They were our triumvirate of soft spoken, gentle, intellectual yet down to earth, funny radio and television personalities who made CBC special and made us feel special. Whenever we saw or heard them they made us smile and feel good about ourselves as individuals and as Canadians. Somehow they were quintessentially Canadian (even though Ernie Coombs did not formally become a Canadian citizen till later in life.). At least we were able to comfort ourselves that Ernie and Frank had a long life. We don't have that with Peter. He died too soon. He was only 67. So today I grieve for Peter, Ernie and Frank. I had returned to the Kootenays in southern BC after several years of traveling through South America and Africa and then a winter of working as a $15/week community organizer for Cesar Chavez in Arizona. BC was in a awful recession in the winter of 1982/83 and the once plentiful and highly paid jobs in the logging and mining were not to be found. Down to my last few dollars, I started working at a bakery in Nelson making bread and then finishing the shift slicing bread for several hours--one loaf at a time. The job was repetitively dull and dangerous. It would have been awful except for Peter Gzowski on CBC's Morningside radio show. Thought provoking and stimulating, Peter probably saved a few fingers while inspiring me with his empathy and compassion for this great country and people everywhere. It is fitting that this great man put his tobacco addiction and the ravaging, debilitating diseases that followed up front and centre so others would learn from his experience. To Peter a fond adieu, to the rest of us -- courage. Few if any will follow in his foot-steps; we were lucky to know him.
Erik Poole,
Burnaby, BC
I have no one favourite story about Peter Gzowski. He was consistently a wonderful story maker. When I was listening to the Morningside special this morning hearing his voice again made me feel that listening to him all of those many mornings was like listening to a wonderful piece of music.....it was always meaningful and harmonious (no matter the subject). And he always said he couldn't carry a tune.
Jo-Ann Sobkow
Mr. Gzowski was an irreplaceable embodiment of Canadianism, and of Canada itself, demonstrating and revealing to us daily what it means to be Canadian, and why there is so much to be proud of and amazed by. In a country so long preoccupied with the search for a national symbol or identity,he was it. Mr. Gzowski had a magical feel for seemingly all issues,however large or small, and for all corners of the country and connected us to those people, places and questions, as well as to each other. In my household he also linked generations; my parents passed away some years ago and with Mr. Gzowski's death, I feel that not only a part of Canada has died, but a final piece of my parents as well.This is unlike the loss felt with the recent passing of many prominent Canadians,because Mr. Gzowski was so open and accessible,one of us. Some legacy!
Laird Cruickshank
This morning, in honour of Peter Gzowski, I volunteered to do a "Borrow a Book" program with my son's junior kindergarten class. His commitment to literacy and to our fine country has been a touchstone for me for more than 20 years. And, I don't want to forget what he championed. This morning, my six-year-old daughter asked me why I was volunteering in her brother's class when I never had in hers. My response was, "today, I really feel like I need to do something to help children learn how to read." Thank you, Peter, for reminding me what is important in life. I miss you already.
Arlene Waite
Toronto, Ontario
Mr. Gzowski,we heartily knew ye.
Quinn Field-Dyte
I am so sorry to learn that Peter Gzowski is gone. He examined the tough issues of being human and the joys of being Canadian in a respectful but probing way that never made me cringe. When national concerns arose that provoked fear, he helped those of us who listened to him confront those fears and trust that we could act reasonably. He helped inspire me to understand and assert my Canadianness when I was living in England, and again now that I am living in California.
Pat Taylor
San Leandro, CA
That soothing. vibrant voice coming through the radio as we drove to work or travelled. Witty, clear, concise and open to discussion. Canada has lost a National Treasure.
John D. Ferguson
Moncton, NB
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