Jody Porter, on July 18, after battling cancer. Best known for her two decades as a reporter with CBC Thunder Bay, Porter was a graduate of Centennial College and a former William Southam Journalism Fellow at Massey College. She started her career as an editor with the Wawatay Native Communications Society, based in Sioux Lookout. She joined CBC in 2000. Porter was the recipient of a Debwewin Citation from the Anishinabek Nation for excellence in reporting on First Nations issues and was Massey College’s Clarkson Laureate in recognition of public service in 2014 whose “social justice work, not just as a reporter, but as an engaged citizen, has created numerous opportunities to build bridges with the First Nations in the Northern communities, including the radio/social experiments that take ordinary people out of their cultural comfort zones and bring them to cook and share a meal with members of the First Nations.” In addition to journalism, Porter worked as an acquisitions editor with McGraw-Hill Ryerson. She’d been battling cancer since 2017.
Nadège St-Philippe, 47, on July 16 after a battle with cancer. A weather presenter for Groupe TVA in Montreal for 15 years, starting in 2006, St. Philippe was first diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2011. She had most recently been on leave since last December. In addition to her television work, St-Philippe was a group fitness coach and owned her own jewelry line. She also lent her time to volunteering with the Canadian Cancer Society and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.
Paul Hanover, 96, on July 11. Born Solomon Yanover in Hamilton in 1926, Hanover’s radio career started at age 17 in Sault Ste. Marie right out of high school. He soon returned to Hamilton to join CHML, where he landed a job on the morning shift. In 1956, a parade of former mayors led by Mayor Lloyd D. Jackson, appointed Hanover “Mayor of the Morning” in recognition of his service to the community. A fixture on CHML’s morning show from 1945 to 1982, he spent a total of 41 years at the station. Hamilton woke up to his signature sign on “Hi y’all, this is Paul”. With his radio sidekick Jolly Cholly, he delivered the 3 T’s – time temperature and tunes. He signed off with a reminder to be a good neighbour and “Do as you would be did by.” Hanover also served as the host of early game shows like “Showdown”, “Paycards” and long-running charades competition “It’s Your Move.” He left the CHML morning show in 1982 and worked in promotions before returning to radio in 1986 to help launch CKOC’s new FM station, CKLH (now known as K-Lite). He retired in 1991.
Robert W. Knight, 69, on July 10, from injuries sustained in a scooter collision. Born in Montreal, Knight began his career at CFOX. Following the station’s format flip to all-news, he made the move to CFGO Ottawa in the late 1970s in the 10 p.m to 2 a.m. time slot. When CFGO flipped to sports, he moved on to weekends on The Bear (CKQB-FM), and eventually went on to host afternoon drive on CHEZ 106 (CHEZ-FM). Knight also dabbled in television in the early 1980s, hosting a weekend music video show for CHRO-TV.
Patrick Watson, 92, on July 4. Born in Toronto, Watson’s first broadcast job involved playing a character in CBC Radio’s daily children’s series, The Kootenay Kid, in 1943. He went on to the University of Toronto, and then started his PhD in linguistics at the University of Michigan before abandoning a career in academia to work at the CBC in 1955. He began hosting The Four Corners travel series in 1957 and gained notoriety as the co-host and co-creator of current affairs program, This Hour Has Seven Days, alongside Laurier LaPierre. After the popular program was cancelled, Watson did a brief stint in 1969/70 at CTV Ottawa affiliate CJOH as Vice-President, Programming, before going out as an independent which saw him produce The Watson Report, Witness to Yesterday, Venture, and 1989’s The Struggle for Democracy, the most expensive docuseries made for Canadian TV, spanning five years and 30 countries. Watson went on to serve as Chairman of the CBC from 1989 to 1994. He was also the creator, writer and narrator of the CRB Foundation’s iconic “Heritage Minutes.” Watson was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981 and promoted to Companion in 2002.
