- Reaction score
- 146
- Points
- 710
An interesting story as to how Lowell Green of CFRA, Ottawa,
http://www.cfra.com/hosts/lowell.asp
got to go to the Vimy ceremonies.
Lowell for many years has been a great supporter of veterans on his show and in the community (and of the CF generally--he was major mover behind the Wear Red Friday rally on Parliament Hill last fall). So, as he told his listeners some time ago, CFRA asked Veterans Affairs if he could be part of the official press delegation going to Vimy, with the intent that he would report back for a number of radio stations.
This Monday Lowell said on his show that Veterans Affairs bureaucrats had turned down the request. Lowell did not give a reason (I suspect it was that the limited number of press seats on the official plane were restricted to the Parliamentary Press Gallery; a local, conservative talk show host was no doubt thought infra dig--however much he had done for veterans and the CF), and he did not complain much.
Many listeners however were riled up and started contacting MPs, the PMO, etc. Just as the Monday show was ending Environment Minister John Baird (from an Ottawa riding) phoned Lowell and told him he was, after all, in. The power of the people for once.
It took Lowell another day to make last-minute arrangements so that he could in fact go, but on Tuesday he announced he would be off. According to Lowell it was the PMO that had--to put it nicely--helped Veterans Affairs see the light.
You might check the main CFRA website later this week to see when Lowell will be broadcasting.
http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp
Mark
Ottawa
http://www.cfra.com/hosts/lowell.asp
got to go to the Vimy ceremonies.
Lowell for many years has been a great supporter of veterans on his show and in the community (and of the CF generally--he was major mover behind the Wear Red Friday rally on Parliament Hill last fall). So, as he told his listeners some time ago, CFRA asked Veterans Affairs if he could be part of the official press delegation going to Vimy, with the intent that he would report back for a number of radio stations.
This Monday Lowell said on his show that Veterans Affairs bureaucrats had turned down the request. Lowell did not give a reason (I suspect it was that the limited number of press seats on the official plane were restricted to the Parliamentary Press Gallery; a local, conservative talk show host was no doubt thought infra dig--however much he had done for veterans and the CF), and he did not complain much.
Many listeners however were riled up and started contacting MPs, the PMO, etc. Just as the Monday show was ending Environment Minister John Baird (from an Ottawa riding) phoned Lowell and told him he was, after all, in. The power of the people for once.
It took Lowell another day to make last-minute arrangements so that he could in fact go, but on Tuesday he announced he would be off. According to Lowell it was the PMO that had--to put it nicely--helped Veterans Affairs see the light.
You might check the main CFRA website later this week to see when Lowell will be broadcasting.
http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp
Mark
Ottawa