Peter Varley, 64, on July 7. Varley worked in radio, with stops at CKCK Regina and CKO Radio in Toronto where he hosted a network talk show, before embarking on a communications career. Among other roles, Varley served as Press Secretary and Assistant Director of Communications for the Office of Ontario Premier Bob Rae from 1992-97 and later as Director of Communications for Opposition Leader Tim Hudak from 2011-13. He also held the title of VP of Public Affairs with the Institute of Chartered Accountants for almost a decade. More recently, he’d been running his own consultancy, working on Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey’s campaign and the Mike Harris Legacy Project. During his time with CKO, Varley was honoured with an ACTRA Award in 1986.
Scott Boyd, 68, on July 2. Boyd’s first broadcasting job was with Sydney’s CHER-FM, moving from evenings to afternoons, and eventually the morning show. He joined Breakfast Television on ASN (Atlantic Satellite Network) in the late 1980s as a co-host, alongside Liz Rigney and Kurt Stoodley. Boyd eventually returned to Cape Breton and 99.9 CJIJ Membertou, before joining The Giant in 2008 as a morning show co-host with Rob MacNamara and Tashia Lee. He later moved to New Glasgow’s Q97.9, before retiring back to Cape Breton. He continued to occasionally announce races at Bud’s Speedway and served as a host at events like the IWK Telethon. Boyd was honoured with a Media Personality of the Year award in 2003 by the East Coast Music Awards.
Rick Cluff, 74, on July 2, after a short battle with cancer. Cluff followed his father Harold into broadcasting against the advice of the CFRB and Air Force Radio performer, initially testing the waters in campus radio at Seneca College and Western University. After obtaining a Journalism degree from Carleton University, Cluff went on to a 41-year career with the public broadcaster, starting his career as a reporter and commentator with CBC Sports in Toronto, covering the CFL, NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA and LPGA, eight Olympic Games and five Commonwealth Games. Cluff made the move to Vancouver in 1997, hosting CBC Radio’s Early Edition for another 20 years. After retiring from the public broadcaster at the end of 2017, he briefly hosted a show for online platform, Orca.ca. More recently, he’d been consulting and coaching under the banner of his own media consultancy Countdown Communications. Cluff was inducted into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from RTDNA Canada in 2018. Read more here.
Bill Custers, 63, on June 30, following a brief illness. Custers started his career as a community programmer in the late 1970s while studying radio and television broadcasting at Niagara College. By 1983, he was General Manager at Cable 14 in Hamilton. After a decade, he joined Western Co-Axial as VP, Programming and Marketing. Custers went on to work with Astral Media’s Viewer’s Choice business as Director of Programming and Marketing and then Director of Operations, managing the team that deployed Astral’s suite of HD channels and Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) products. After 13 years with Astral, he returned to Cable 14 in 2012 as Technical and Network Operations Supervisor. He retired in November 2023 as Senior Manager, Broadcast & Strategy. Upon his retirement, Custers was named to the Order of Hamilton.
Lori Paris, 46, on June 29. A graduate of both Carleton University and the Humber College post-grad Journalism program, Paris started her career while still in school in 2002, working overnights at CFRB Toronto as a reporter and anchor. Stints reporting and anchoring followed at Rogers Sports & Media’s radio stations in Ottawa, including 1310 News, and briefly 580 CFRA. Paris joined The Canadian Press (CP) newsroom in Toronto in 2013, holding roles including editor, news reader, and most recently assistant audio editor. Paris was part of the team recently nominated for a National Newspaper Award for the wire service’s coverage of last summer’s wildfires in B.C.
Bob Hunter, 77, on June 28. Born and raised in Moose Jaw, Hunter had a 44-year long career as a Broadcast Engineer, much of which took place in Edmonton with stops at EZ Rock (CFMG-FM) and CHQT, among other stations. He retired as Director of Engineering from Bell Media Radio in Edmonton in 2013.
Ray St. Germain, 83, on June 25. St. Germain began to gain popularity as a country and rockabilly performer in his teens. Dubbed “Winnipeg’s Elvis,” he went on to play alongside country stars like Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers. An ardent promoter of Métis and Indigenous culture, St. Germain hosted numerous radio and television shows, starting in the 1960s. They included CBC series “Time for Livin’” and “My Kind of Country,” in addition to long-running CKND Winnipeg show “Ray St. Germain Country.” He also hosted Saturday morning call-in show “Métis Hour x2” on the NCI (Native Communications Inc.) radio network in Manitoba for 23 years. He retired from the station in 2022. St. Germain was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and received the Order of Manitoba in 2013. He had previously been inducted into the Aboriginal Order of Canada in 1985 and the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
