A touching tribute in today’s Gazette to George Balcan, whose voice animated the mornings of Anglophone Montreal on CJAD radio for over 30 years:
For many anglophones, allophones and even francophones, Balcan was Montreal’s morning man. Breakfast was Balcan plus a cup of coffee.
Generations of Montrealers woke up to him – for excellent reason. He was part of all our families. He helped soothe by getting us through the rough spots. He helped celebrate our good fortune. He helped bring us up to speed on developments here and around the world. There was virtually no subject – culture, sports, economics, politics – that he wasn’t able to converse about intelligently and sensitively.
Balcan passed away yesterday after losing his battle with cancer. He was 72.
CJAD itself has faltered recently, and despite trying to replace Balcan with high-profile announcers (for example, Terry DiMonte) after his retirement, the station has been on a downhill fall since Balcan’s retirement. His was one of the most well-known and recognizable voices in the city. Now that voice has fallen silent, and the city won’t be quite the same.