SIGN-OFFS:
Paul Nicholls, Feb. 23, suddenly while on vacation. Nicholls was well-known in the community of Georgina, ON as a former town councillor and Rogers TV personality. He was most recently known for hosting the current affairs program Politically Speaking after serving as a town councillor from 1994 to 1997 and sitting on the board of directors for both the Georgina Public Libraries and Georgina Cares organizations. In addition to his extensive volunteer work, Paul was a distinguished toastmaster and actor, starring in local productions and short films. Former mayor Rob Grossi hosted a special edition of Politically Speaking on Rogers TV on Tuesday to celebrate Nicholls life.
Jack Gray, 90, on Feb. 23. One of the driving forces behind the creation of The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) in 1991, Gray committed 25 years of his life to working on behalf of Canadian screenwriters. He was the first writer-president of ACTRA, serving two terms from 1978-81 and was the last chair of the ACTRA National Writers Council. Believing strongly that screenwriters needed to be represented by a writer-driven organization, Gray organized his fellow screenwriters into leaving ACTRA and forming the WGC. In 2002, Gray was given the WGC’s “Writers Block Award for Service to Canadian Screenwriters.”
Pierre Pascau, 78, on Feb. 28. Born in Mauritius, the well-known Montreal talk show host and reporter, joined the Mauritius Broadcasting Service at the age of 19 and was subsequently awarded a three-year scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During his time at Guildhall, Pierre worked as a freelance reporter for the British Home Office. In 1965, Pascau moved to Montreal, working as a reporter for CBC Radio’s Cross Country Checkup and CBC Television’s Hourglass. He later moved to CFCF-TV Montreal, establishing himself as an investigative reporter. While at CKLM-AM during the October Crisis, Pasco was contacted by the Front de liberation du Quebec responsible for kidnapping British diplomat James Cross and served as an intermediary between the FLQ and the government. Pascau went on to have a short-lived run as co-host of Canada AM in 1974, moving on to CKAC-AM where he hosted L’Informateur. He left the station in 1990 for CKVL-AM where he began hosting Le Point du Jour. Pascau retired in 1997 and relocated to Paris in recent years.
