There was sadness, but also a synergy with the passing of Bill Dane last week.
Dane essentially came right out of the OSCVI in the early 1940s and went to work as a play by play announcer with CFOS Radio, a new entity that had been on the air just one year.
His first stay at CFOS wasn’t long, joining the Canadian War effort in the early 40’s with the Royal Canadian Air Force where he was a Lancaster navigator.
Upon his return from the war, Dane worked full time at the Sun Times and also handled play by play and sportscasting for CFOS, staying with the radio station until 1960.
As a journalist, Dane likely enjoyed the greatest era to cover sports in the city, highlighted by the 1950 Mann Cup Canadian Senior Lacrosse Championship for the Owen Sound Cresents which was followed the next hockey season by the Mercury’s Allan Cup Championship in 1951.
About 5 years ago, I interviewed Bill for an approaching anniversary piece for the company, and well into his 80’s he was crystal clear on the games, the teams and the personalities involved in local sports.
Just last May, we connected again, when he was among the inductees into the Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame.
Again, in a gracious speech, the memories flowed easily and the tribute was a fitting climax to his years in sports journalism from an era that many people in the region recall fondly decades later.
I’m Fred Wallace