Longtime Vancouver weatherman Phil Reimer passed away Wednesday morning after a short stay in Vancouver General Hospital. He was 84.
Reimer is best known for his time as a weather specialist with both CBC Vancouver (from 1977 to 1995) and 980 CKNW (from 1996 to 2006).
Originally from Winnipeg, Reimer moved to Victoria at age 14. He started his broadcasting career at CKDA Victoria in 1958, leaving school in Grade 10 to take up the position of all-night disc jockey where the first record he spun was Elvis Presley’s Don’t Be Cruel.
He quickly moved into an on-air and production role at CHEK-TV, before relocating back to Winnipeg in 1960 where he worked at CJAY-TV, covering sports and infamously playing one game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as an embedded sports reporter. He moved over to CBC Sports in Winnipeg from 1965-69, before taking a seven-year break from media. During that time he worked for the federal cabinet in Ottawa, in addition to pursuing his love of travel, running tours to Elvis concerts from 1973-77 and attending 125 shows.
He resurfaced in Vancouver in 1977, following Elvis’ untimely death, taking up the role of weatherman at CBC, where he was a fixture until 1995 when he moved over to the same role at CKNW. He also penned daily weather updates for the Vancouver Sun. He retired from the station in 2006, shortly after his 65th birthday. Upon his retirement, he estimated that he’d delivered about 75,000 newscasts.
Concurrent to his on-air work, Reimer was the producer of television series under the banner of Phil Reimer Communications, including Doctor Doctor and Legal Wise for CBC and The Horse Race Show for BCTV.
In retirement, Reimer founded Ports & Bows, a cruising column published in newspapers across the country, documenting his world travels.
According to a post on social media from his son, Kevin, there will be no formal memorial in keeping with Reimer’s wishes.
