Peter Gzowski

Peter Gzowski CC
Gzowski at CBC Radio
Born	Peter John Gzowski (1934-07-13)July 13, 1934 Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Died	January 24, 2002(2002-01-24)(aged 67) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Resting place	St. James Cemetery,Toronto

Peter John GzowskiCC(July 13, 1934 – January 24, 2002), known colloquially as "Mr. Canada", or "Captain Canada",was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on theCBCradio showsThis Country in the MorningandMorningside.His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation ofCanadian nationaliststo understand and express Canada's cultural identity.Gzowski wrote books, hosted television shows, and worked at a number of newspapers and atMaclean'smagazine. Gzowski was known for a friendly, warm, interviewing style.

Life and career

Gzowski was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Margaret McGregor (née Young) and Harold Edward Gzowski.His paternal great-great-grandfather wasSir Casimir Gzowski,of Polish nobility, who became a prominent engineer in Canada, noted in particular for his work on theGrand Trunk Railwayand theWelland Canal.Sir Casimir Gzowski was an aide de camp ofQueen Victoria- who knighted him - and briefly acted as the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, when his predecessor died in office.

The marriage of Gzowski's parents ended shortly after Gzowski was born, with Harold Gzowski leaving the marriage for aDepression-era vagabond life. Gzowski and his mother were supported by Harold Gzowski's family, following Harold Gzowski's departure. Gzowski's mother then married Reg Brown, a sales manager of a local textile mill, and the family relocated toGalt, Ontario,in 1939, when Gzowski was five.

Gzowski encountered difficulties succeeding in high school in Galt. During the Christmas break in his Grade 11 year, Gzowski reconnected with his father in Toronto, living with him for a short period, before his father encouraged him to attendRidley Collegeboarding school, inSt. Catharines,Ontario, which Gzowski's father had also attended. Gzowski's mother died the summer following the commencement of Gzowski's studies at Ridley College.Gzowski's mother was 40; Gzowski was 16.

Gzowski attended theUniversity of Torontobut never graduated; he was later awarded 11honorary degrees.Midway through university, he took time off to work for theTimmins Daily Press.During his last year, 1956–57, at the U of T, he edited the student newspaperThe Varsity.In the spring of 1957, he became city editor of theMoose Jaw Times-Herald.After a few months in Moose Jaw, he was hired by the Chatham Daily News. In September 1958, he joined the staff ofMaclean'smagazine. When he was 28 he became the youngest-ever managing editor ofMaclean's.In the 1960s he moved to theToronto Starand became the last editor ofThe Star Weeklymagazine until it was sold in 1968.

His first regular radio show was Radio Free Friday, 1969–1970. In 1971 he became host of radio the CBC'sThis Country in the Morning.From 1976 to 1978 he hosted the television show90 Minutes LiveonCBC Television.In 1982 he returned to his former morning radio program, which had by now been renamedMorningside,where he remained until 1997. He also narrated a fewHeritage Minutes.He returned to Moose Jaw, to host his last episode of Morningside from theTemple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort. In 1986, Gzowski held the first fundraising golf tournament for literacy, a cause that was very important to him. That tournament has evolved and is now held in every province and territory of Canada and has raised more than $13-million for volunteer-based literacy programs. As part of its activities, it honours a Canadian each year with thePeter Gzowski Awardfor contributions to adult literacy in Canada.

Throughout most of his life, Gzowski had been a heavy smoker of cigarettes, consuming up to 75 cigarettes per day. In 2000, Gzowski stopped smoking through attending a treatment centre for persons with addictions. A few months following the completion of treatment, Gzowski developed emphysema, following a chest infection. By the fall of 2001, he was largely confined to his home, breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.In 2001, he contributed the essay "How to Quit Smoking in Fifty Years or Less" toAddicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast,edited byLorna CrozierandPatrick Lane,and published byGreystone Books.The essay was reprinted in September 2001 byThe Globe and Mailas "Out of breath".He also wrote the essay "Life after smoking", which was published in50+ Magazinein June 2001 and included inA Peter Gzowski Reader,published byMcClelland and Stewartin October, 2001. The book is a collection of Gzowski's written works, commencing from his time as a writer forThe Varsityat the University of Toronto, collected and with commentary by Gzowski.Gzowski died ofemphysemain Toronto on January 24, 2002.

Gzowski was divorced from his first wife, Jennie Lissaman, from Brandon, Manitoba, whom he met while residing in Moose Jaw and with whom he had five children (Alison, Maria, Peter, John and Mick). He was survived also by two common-law partners, Jan Walter and Gillian Howard, whom he called his "Partner for Life". Gzowski was the father of a son (Robert Lawrence Perkins), born in 1961, from an extra-marital relationship.

Following his death, his remains were placed in the family tomb atSt. James Cemeteryin Toronto.

Gallery

• 
  The Peter GzowskiLibraryinSutton
• 
  The Gzowski Family Mausoleum in which Gzowski is interred

Honours

• 1974, 1985, 1987ACTRA Awardsfor the best host-interviewer on radio
• 1981 – National Magazine Award for his profile ofWayne Gretzky
• 1982 – Became host ofMorningsideon September 6.
• 1984 – HonoraryDoctor of Letters,University of New Brunswick
• 1986 – Officer of theOrder of Canada
• 1988 – HonoraryDoctor of Laws,Trent University
• 1995 -Governor General's Performing Arts Award
• 1997 – InternationalPeabody Awardfor broadcasting
• 1997 – Gold Medal from theRoyal Canadian Geographical Society
• 1998 – Companion of the Order of Canada.
• 1999 – AppointedChancellorofTrent University,a position he held until his death
• 2002 – The Peter Gzowski Foundation for Literacy was funded by the federal government and named in honour of Gzowski's work in promoting literacy in Canada
• 2003 – Gzowski College atTrent Universityopens in honour of Peter Gzowski
• 2006 – The Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories
• 2006 –Georgina Public Librariesrenamed their Sutton Branch the Peter Gzowski Branch

Bibliography

Books

• 1974Peter Gzowski's Book about This Country in the Morning(Hurtig Publishers)
• 1979Peter Gzowski's Spring Tonic(Hurtig Publishers)
• 1980The Sacrament: A True Story of Survival(Atheneum Books)
• 1981The Game of Our Lives(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1983An Unbroken Line(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1985Morningside Papers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1987The New Morningside Papers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1989The Latest Morningside Papers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1989The Private Voice: A Journal of Reflections(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1991The Fourth Morningside Papers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1994The Fifth (and Probably Last) Morningside Papers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 1998The Morningside Years(McClelland and Stewart; with foreword byDalton Camp)
• 1998Friends, Moments, Countryside: Selected Columns from Canadian Living, 1993-1998(McClelland and Stewart)
• 2001A Peter Gzowski Reader(McClelland and Stewart)

Other

• 1989 Afterword toMordecai Richler,The Incomparable Atuk(New Canadian Library)
• 1994 Introduction toFestival of the Written Arts,The Great Canadian Literary Cookbook(Harbour Publishing)
• 1999 Foreword toSteve Dryden(Ed.),Total Gretzky: The Magic,The Legend, The Numbers(McClelland and Stewart)
• 2001 "How to Quit Smoking in Fifty Years or Less", contained inLorna CrozierandPatrick Lane(eds),Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast(Greystone Books)
• 2002 Foreword toChris Czajkowski,Cabin at Singing River: One Woman's Story of Building a Home in the Wilderness(Raincoast Books)

Biographies

• Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm,"Dreams and Reality Polish Canadian Identities”, chapter: The King of CBC, Toronto 1984,ISBN0-9691756-0-4
• Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm,„Kanada, Kanada”, chapter: Gwiazdor Kanadyjskiego Radia CBC, Warsaw 1986.ISBN83-7021-006-6
• 1994Marco Adria,Peter Gzowski: An Electric Life(ECW Press)
• 2002Edna Barker(ed.), with introduction byShelagh Rogers,Remembering Peter Gzowski: A Book of Tributes(Douglas Gibson Books)
• 2010R.B. Fleming,Peter Gzowski: A BiographyArchivedJuly 16, 2016, at theWayback Machine(Dundurn Press)

Audio CD

• 2003A Celebration of Peter Gzowski(CBC Audio) - Collection of Gzowski interviews, compiled by Barbara Brown and Patsy Stevens.

In music

• Gzowski co-wrote the song "One Single River" / "Song For Canada" withIan Tyson.The song, advocating Canadian unity, was performed byIan and Sylvia,as well as byBob DylanandThe Band,during theirBasement Tapessessions.
• Scottishpost-rockbandMogwaiuse an audio recording of Gzowski's interview withIggy Popin the song "Punk Rock", the first song from their albumCome on Die Young(1999).

External links

• Peter GzowskiatIMDb
• Peter Gzowskidiscography atDiscogs
• Entry at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca