Southwinds Café: Twentieth Century Canadian History through the Magic of Radio

What is Southwinds Café

The south wind evokes warmth, movement, growth, and openness of the heart.   In that same spirit, the Southwinds Café invites older adults to gather for thought-provoking sessions where ideas flow and everyone feels at home.

• Hear from inspiring guests
• Explore a variety of topics
• Share your thoughts in a welcoming setting
• Connect with fellow older adults

Event Description

“Twentieth Century Canadian History through the Magic of Radio” looks at great events of the last century that radio helped bring to life. They range from the well-known (Second World War) to the long forgotten (1936 Moose River Mine Disaster). Radio proved to be the ideal medium for a country with a vast land mass but a relatively small population.

This English presentation looks at those 20th century events using slides and historic audio from each event.

It’s filled with nostalgia for a bygone era along with some of the characteristic humour that Laurence brought to CBC Radio listeners for many years.

Event Speaker

Laurence Wall

Laurence Wall spent 44 years working for CBC Radio at four different stations around the country. Included in that were 28 years he spent as a radio news presenter for CBC Ottawa. During that time, Laurence prepared and put to air more than 50,000 newscasts and news updates. He was also the voice of the National Research Council’s Official Time Signal in the Ottawa area until the Time Signal’s untimely demise in late 2023. Laurence retired from the CBC just a few months after that, in May of 2024. Coincidence? You be the judge. He and his wife, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, live in The People’s Republic of Nepean.