Former CBC broadcaster McLaughlin dies

Les McLaughlin, a longtime CBC broadcaster and producer best known for promoting musicians from Canada's North, has died. He was 69.

McLaughlin died peacefully at his Ottawa home on Saturday evening after a lengthy battle with cancer. Family and friends will hold a service for McLaughlin in Ottawa on Jan. 15, according to his obituary.

McLaughlin began his career with the CBC's Northern Service in Whitehorse in 1962, working as a full-time announcer from 1964 to 1968. He continued working with the Northern Service — now known as CBC North — from Montreal and Ottawa until he retired in 1995.

"Les always talked about music and Whitehorse, the Yukon, Robert Service. He was just an original," said Rose Simpson, an Ottawa-based journalist and longtime friend of McLaughlin.

"I think that Les brought a wealth of knowledge and interest about living up north and shared it with all of us."

'Always the ideas man'

McLaughlin received the CBC President's award in 1992, the Yukon Heritage award in 1996 and the Yukon Commissioner's Award in 2005.

"He was an ideas man. He always had ideas," said Tim Kinvig, a friend and former co-worker based in Whitehorse. "I'm sure there were many ideas that were still in his head that will never come to fruition, but he was always the ideas man."

McLaughlin was remembered for producing a number of historical documentaries, as well as for recording and promoting northern musicians including Susan Aglukark, Hank Karr, Charlie Panigoniak and Kashtin.

William Tagoona of Kuujjuaq, Que., recalled how McLaughlin encouraged him to record an album of Inuit country music with professional musicians in southern Canada.

"They said, 'Well, William, you put your mouth into your own hands and come down to Montreal and we'll record you,'" said Tagoona, now a CBC Radio broadcaster himself.

McLaughlin was also a founding producer of the True North Concert Series, which featured musicians from across Canada's North since the 1980s.

In 1999, McLaughlin published Granddaddy of the Peace, the Life and Times of Tom Kerr, a book he wrote about his grandfather's adventures in northern Alberta.

"He had emailed me and asked me if I would record or make an audiobook out of the book," said Ron Wood, a good friend of McLaughlin, about a request he received several weeks ago.

Wood said he plans to make the recording and dedicate it to his friend.