David Blair, 56, unexpectedly on July 12. Originally from Winnipeg, Blair lived and worked in Toronto and then London, England before settling in Montreal where he began a career with the public broadcaster in 1995, working for Radio Canada International. He went on to report on business for CBC Radio, providing business updates to morning programs across the country in addition to appearing as a regular contributor to Quebec AM and Daybreak in Quebec City and Montreal. Blair was also the co-founder of the Montreal chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association in the late 1990s.

Wilf Ray, 94, on July 11. Ray started his radio career as a disc jockey at CKMO 1410 Vancouver in 1944 where he hosted in various dayparts, including popular evening show, The DX Prowl, where he interviewed big band leaders and performers of the day, including Mel Torme and Stan Kenton. A natural born promoter, Ray’s wedding to station music librarian Marion McDonald, was planned as a promotional event to take place at the Pacific National Exhibition, but stirring up controversy with local clergy, the couple were married on the lawn of their home and escorted to the event by a 60-car police escort out to the P.N.E. The bride wore $1M dollars worth of loaned crown jewels, and Ray gave his wedding speech in front of a crowd of 10,000. Ray went on to found his own real estate company, returning to radio around 1965 with a Sunday night gospel program that ran on CJOR, and later CJJR-FM and CKBD. From the late 1960s through 1980, Ray served as Director of Corporate Communications for the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group before suffering a stress-induced heart attack. He served one term as an alderman in Maple Ridge, starting in 1981, before re-entering real estate, joined by his daughters Robin and Leeann.