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Gordon Atkinson (August 24, 1922 – January 13, 2006) was a broadcaster and politician in Quebec, Canada.

Background

Gordon Atkinson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of William James Atkinson, officer of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Martha Kathleen Johnson.

Atkinson became a radio announcer in Calgary, Alberta in 1937. He was an infantry officer with the Calgary Highlanders during the Second World War and served in the Northwest Europe campaign. After the war he moved to Los Angeles as a TV, radio and motion picture actor, writer and director. He received his training at the Pasedena Playhouse, where he studied with notables such as Carolyn Jones (The Adams Family) and Barbara Hale (Perry Mason's secretary, Della Street).

In the early 1950s he rejoined the Canadian Army with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) for the Korean War, serving in Korea and Japan. After the war, he was asked by the CBC to become a teacher of television for the newly created CBC-TV in Toronto. From 1955 to 1957 he worked as an advisor to Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent.

He moved to Winnipeg from Toronto in 1954 as CBC Program Manager. While there, he created many television shows, most of which were brought under question due to the morals of the time. He hired a night club entertainer and his wife as a (male) host for an entertainment program. The program was cancelled as common folk objected to a night club owner/entertainer involved in television. While in Winnipeg, he helped to bring up lines from B.C. to Vancouver, and created Vancouver CBC Television. He later moved his family to Montreal, where he worked in theatre at the Mountain Playhouse for many years. He was an actor, director, and voice actor in the community. He also directed many plays at McGill University (Wry and Ginger 1959).

From 1957 to 1980 Atkinson was a CBC TV sports commentator, working out of Montreal, covering all Olympic, Pan-American, Canadian and international events. Throughout the 1980s, he was a political / social commentator on CJAD AM 800 radio in Montreal.

His radio work was interrupted when he was elected a Member of the Quebec National Assembly in 1989. He served one term and then got back into radio from 1993 to 1997 as political and social commentator for CIQC AM 600 radio in Montreal. Atkinson retired in 1998, but recorded a two hour program broadcast every Remembrance Day (November 11) on CJAD 800. The program was given to CJAD in perpetuity, in memory of "those friends who were killed in the two wars in which I participated."

Provincial Politics

In the general election of 1989, he ran as the Equality Party candidate in the Montreal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Atkinson defeated Liberal incumbent Harold Thuringer and become a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.

By March 29, 1994, Atkinson sat as an Independent. He was defeated by Liberal candidate Russell Copeman in 1994.

Titles

Commander, Most Ven. Order of St. John of Jerusalem; Board of Directors, St. John Ambulance & St. John Federation. 1980– ; Knight of Justice, St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, Board of Directors St. John Ambulance and St. John Federation (1980) Honourable Aide de Camp to Queen Elizabeth 1989–2005

Awards

• 1967 — Centennial Medal for Most Beautiful Small Farm in Quebec (St. Eustache (Parish))
• 1976 — Actra Award – Radio Commentary
• 1976 — Short TV Documentary
• 1989 — Nellie – Editoral Commentary (Radio)
• 2003 — Best Dad in the World

Boards

• 1993–1996 — Board of Directors – Catherine Booth Hospital
• 1985–1991 — Director, CH of St. James the Apostle (Anglican)
• 1989 — Heraldry Society of Canada (Montreal Chapter)
• 1991 — Member, United Empire Loyalist
• 1988 — Board of Directors – War Veterans Homes (Quebec)
• 1980–1982 — President, Montreal Press Club

Honorary Positions

• 1967–1978 — Honorary Secretary Montreal Hunt Club
• 1980–? — Hon. Lt-Col 78th Fraser Highlanders (Black Watch Of Canada)
• 1980 — Founding Member, Equality Party

Recreation

• Fox Hunting (Montreal Hunt Club)
• Equestrian Competitions (Hunter Trials all over Canada and Europe)
• Tennis (Club – Mount Stephen, Montreal)

Personal life

Gordon Atkinson was married in 1952–1977 to Lucy (Leach), at the time, a singer with Leslie Bell Singers, and Music Superintendant in Etobicoke, Ontario. She appeared on CBC the first night they aired television in Winnipeg Manitoba. Moving to Montreal, Gordon continued working for CBC Radio Montreal, then in Radio and Television by the early 60's. Lucy began teaching at Rosemere, Twin Oaks in Laval West, Lake of Two Mountains High School (Music), Ste. Eustache and Chomedey Elemenetary schools. Gordon and Lucy had 3 children: Kathryn & Marta (in Winnipeg), Christopher (in Montreal).

He is survived by 4 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, including Adrianna Meuser-Atkinson (through Christopher), Kathryn, and Andrew Braddock (through Marta), Kellina Horgan (through Kathryn), and Elaine (through Adrianna).

He remarried twice, to Constance Joan Lechman, and then to Pierrette Sicard de Carufel.

At his death, Atkinson had been ill for some time and had been living in a seniors' residence in Westmount, Quebec.

Gordon Atkinson is buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

External links

• Gordon Atkinson at IMDb

Footnotes

1. "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.

Template:Persondata

• 1922 births
• 2006 deaths
• Equality Party (Quebec) MNAs
• People from Winnipeg
• People from Montreal
• Canadian radio personalities
• Anglophone Quebec people