Ivan Reitman, 75, on Feb. 12. Reitman’s foray into producing started at the newly-launched Citytv in Toronto, working on shows like “Sweet City Women,” however his tenure was a mere six months after he was fired by Moses Znaimer. He went on to produce the stage production of Spellbound in the early 1970s and then director David Cronenberg’s “Shivers” and “Rabid.” “National Lampoon’s Animal House” followed in 1978 and Reitman then directed “Meatballs” in 1979, kicking off a string of feature films he would direct and produce including “Stripes” (1981), “Ghostbusters” (1984), “Legal Eagles” (1986), “Twins” (1988), “Kindergarten Cop” (1990), and “Dave” (1993). Reitman also produced and executive produced numerous projects through his company, Northern Lights Entertainment, notably “Beethoven” (1992), “Space Jam” (1996), “Private Parts” (1997), and “Trailer Park Boys: The Movie” (2006). He went on to found prodco, The Montecito Picture Company, in 2000, going on to produce 2009’s “I Love You Man” and the Oscar-nominated “Up in the Air”, as well as the Atom Egoyan-directed, “Chloe”. Reitman was an inductee of Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2007. In 2009, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Jim Bennet, 91, on Feb. 7. Bennet is best-known as the co-host of CBC TV show “Singalong Jubilee” for its entire run from 1961 to 1974. A hallmark production at the time for CBC Halifax, the musical variety show featured a large cast of singers and musicians, elevating the careers of performers like Anne Murray and Edith Butler. An accomplished guitar player and singer, Bennet received his vocal training at All Saints Cathedral Choir in Halifax. He joined CBC Halifax in the early 1950s, going on to a 31-year career that included writing, announcing and co-hosting programming from radio plays to news specials. Bennett took early retirement in 1981. Among his published works are two books of verse and Atlantic humour, Jim Bennet’s Verse and Jim Bennet Rhymes Again, as well as his memoir, South End Boy, published in 2015.
