John Ashbridge, 71, on June 5. “Ash” as he was known by colleagues, got his start in broadcasting at the age of 13, when he began hanging around radio station CJVI Victoria and became an unpaid operator. He was hired part-time in 1962 and then moved over to CFAX while he finished high school. In 1964, he was hired in the news department at CJOR Vancouver and then CKNW a year later where he was put to work as relief for the DJs, and handling remotes and news. With the exception of three years as news director at CJCI Prince George and an 18-month stint working in radio in Australia, Ashbridge was an on-air staple at CKNW up until his retirement in 2005. In addition to radio, Ashbridge started as the public address announcer for the Vancouver Canucks in 1987, and joined the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants in the same capacity in 2004, up until recently. He also served as PA announcer for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games at Canada Hockey Place. Ashbridge was honoured with the NHL Alumni Association’s “7th Man Award” in 2000. He received the RTDNA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.