Barbara Cram, 66, Apr. 10. Born in Indian Head, SK, Barbara obtained her BA (History) from the University of Saskatchewan, and her BLS (Library Science) from the University of Alberta, then joined the Canadian diplomatic corps as an immigration officer, spending time in Canada, then Yugoslavia, prior to a two-year posting to New Delhi, India. She resigned from the diplomatic corps and pursued more education, graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with her LLB (law) degree, then entered into practice in rural Saskatchewan before practicing in Regina for a decade. While in Regina, Barb was appointed to the CRTC for three years, and later re-appointed twice, as the Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Barb enjoyed her time with the CRTC, which afforded her the opportunity to travel across Canada and use three or four of the languages she spoke.
Armand Baril, 87, Apr. 14 after a brief illness. Baril’s broadcasting career began in the 1940s at CKUA-AM Edmonton and concluded after 36 years with CBC in Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. He is best remembered for his work at CBC Edmonton on shows including Reach for the Top, Keynotes, and numerous music shows including Music In Miniature, CBC Young Performers, the Gala Tri-Bach Concert, the Opening of the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts and Tommy Banks Live. He was an accomplished pianist and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His passion for music led to a stint in the chorus of the Canadian Opera Company and to major roles with the Edmonton Civic Opera and Edmonton Opera. Later, he sang in Da Camera Singers and the Richard Eaton Singers and for 11 years was choir director at St. Joseph’s Basilica. He played bass clarinet with the Cosmopolitan Band for 25 years and in 1985, formed the Cosmopolitan Chorus, acting as its conductor until 1995. In 2000, he became music director of the Edmonton Schoolboys’ Alumni Band and remained in that position until 2013.
Burt Decaire, 76, Mar. 24 in Cranbrook. Decaire’s radio career began at CJAT-AM Trail in the 1960s. He joined the staff at EK Radio in Cranbrook in the early 1970s as sports director. While Decaire did a regular DJ shift, hundreds of on-location broadcasts and voiced thousands of commercials, he’s best remembered as a long-time voice for the Western International Hockey League, doing play-by-play and colour for hundreds of games for the Cranbrook Royals and Kimberley Dynamiters, as well as the KIJHL’s Cranbrook Colts. In the 1970s, Burt was also the author of a popular sports column in the Kootenay Advertiser entitled “Dak’s Diggings,” a nickname used by his close friends. His passion for sports led him to form and manage the Media Maulers fastball team, originally a combination of radio and newspaper employees, who played in the Cranbrook Men’s Bush League. Decaire retired from radio in 2002.
