{{Short description|Canadian retired weather reporter}} {{use MDY| date= November 2024}} thumb|250px|Dave Devall
'''David Devall''' (born 1931) is a Canadian retired broadcaster and meteorologist. He served as the chief forecaster at CFTO-TV in Toronto for more than 48 years beginning in 1961, and was recognized as having had the "longest career as a weather forecaster" by Guinness World Records and the World Records Academy upon his retirement on April 3, 2009.<ref name = "Dave's Record 2009">{{cite web|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/dave-devall-sets-a-forecasting-longevity-record-1.385429 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302105626/http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/dave-devall-sets-a-forecasting-longevity-record-1.385429 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2013 |title=Dave Devall sets a forecasting longevity record | CTV Toronto News |publisher=Toronto.ctv.ca |date=2009-04-02 |accessdate=2017-06-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/society/longest_career_as_a_weather_forecaster-Dave_Devall_sets_world%20record_90187.htm |title=Longest career as a weather forecaster-Dave Devall sets world record |publisher=Worldrecordsacademy.org |date=2009-04-03 |accessdate=2017-06-11}}</ref> Devall was also a recipient of the RTDNA Canada's lifetime achievement award in 2010.<ref name = "RTDNA Award"> {{Cite web | title = Past RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award Winners | work = RTDNA Canada | publisher = Radio-Television Digital News Association of Canada | year = 2024 | url = https://rtdnacanada.com/lifetime-achievement-awards/past-years/
| access-date = 13 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241113001752/https://rtdnacanada.com/lifetime-achievement-awards/past-years/
| archive-date = 13 November 2024 | url-status = live }}</ref>
==Early life and career== Devall was born, raised, and educated in Toronto (graduate of York Memorial Collegiate in the old City of York).
While studying at Ryerson Institute of Technology's radio and television arts program, he also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) where part of his training centred on meteorology. In 1956, while still a student, he worked at CFPL-TV in London, Ontario; he then moved to Toronto radio station CFRB, where he stayed from 1957 to 1958.<ref name ="CFTO Bio"> {{Cite news | title = Dave Devall, Weather Specialist, CTV News Toronto | work = CTV Toronto | publisher = Bell Media | location = Toronto | url = https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more/bios/dave-devall-weather-specialist-ctv-news-toronto-1.281676 | access-date = 12 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130302110339/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more/bios/dave-devall-weather-specialist-ctv-news-toronto-1.281676 | archive-date = 2 March 2013 | url-status = dead | year = 2023 }}</ref> After graduating in 1958,<ref name="Ryerson"> {{Citation | last1 = Julien-Sullivan | first1 = Christine | title = AlumNews 50s: Dave Devall, Radio and Television Arts (RTA) '58 | work = Alumni magazine | publisher = Ryerson University | location = Toronto | date = June 2009 | page = 36 | url = http://www.ryerson.ca/alumni/magazine/Alumni_S09.pdf | access-date = 11 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607151726/http://www.ryerson.ca/alumni/magazine/Alumni_S09.pdf | archive-date = 7 June 2011 | url-status = dead | issn = 1713-627X
}}</ref> he worked at CHEX-TV in Peterborough.<ref name ="CFTO Bio"/> When CFTO launched in 1961, Devall auditioned with 2,000 other hopefuls; he was one of six people hired as a broadcaster, and he started at the station on January 7 of the same year.
Devall's voice was heard across Canada as Jim Perry's announcer on many of his game shows, including ''Definition'', ''Headline Hunters'' and ''Eye Bet''.<ref name = "Search 4 Canada’s Game Shows"> {{Cite episode | last1 = Hodgson | first1 = David | title = Peaks and Pitfalls | series = The Search for Canada’s Game Shows | season = 1 | number = 3 | network = GameTV | location = Toronto | publisher = Carpe Diem Media | year = 2020 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5diw98l9v8 | access-date = 12 November 2024 | format = YouTube Video
}}</ref> As well. he appeared in Ford television commercials on the popular ''Hockey Night in Canada'' program. In 1975, Devall was offered a hosting position with ABC's ''Good Morning America''; he turned down the offer and remained with CFTO-TV.<ref name="Devall Retires from CFTO" /> While at the station, he also served as a continuity announcer, voicing promos, bumpers, program intros and outros, station IDs and the nightly sign-off sequence.<ref name ="CFTO Bio"/>
Despite various new weathercasters joining the station, Devall remained the chief weather presenter at CFTO until his retirement, and also appeared daily on co-owned CTV Newsnet to present the national weather forecast. His funny antics have made him popular with Toronto viewers. During his early years at the station, he presented the weather forecast from behind a clear acrylic glass weather map, which necessitated writing backwards with a grease pencil. After electronically generated weather maps were introduced, he continued the tradition with a single daily weather word.<ref name ="CFTO Bio"/>
Devall was made an honorary colonel of the Canadian Forces Squadron 436 at CFB Trenton in February 2007.<ref name="Ryerson"/>
==Retirement== Devall retired on April 3, 2009. Two days earlier, it had been announced that Devall had set the newly created Guinness World Record for the "longest career as a weather forecaster" at 48 years, 2 months, and 27 days.<ref name = "Devall Retires from CFTO"> {{Cite news | author = CFTO-TV Staff | title = CTV Toronto weatherman of 48 years steps down | work = CTV Toronto | publisher = CTVGlobemedia | location = Toronto | date = 4 April 2009 | url = https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ctv-toronto-weatherman-of-48-years-steps-down-1.386014 | access-date = 11 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130302082318/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ctv-toronto-weatherman-of-48-years-steps-down-1.386014 | archive-date = 2 March 2013 | url-status = dead }}</ref> That record was surpassed by fellow Canadian broadcast weather forecaster Peter Coade in 2013.<ref name ="Peter Coade breaks Devall's Record"> {{Cite news | last1 = Woodbury | first1 = Richard | title = CBC meteorologist Peter Coade retires after record-setting career | work = CBHT-DT | publisher = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | location = Halifax, Nova Scotia | date = 30 September 2013 | url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/peter-coade-cbc-meteorologist-retires-1.3783674 | access-date = 11 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160930105559/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/peter-coade-cbc-meteorologist-retires-1.3783674 | archive-date = 30 September 2016 | url-status = live }}</ref> As part of his send-off, CFTO and the City of Toronto announced that the roadway leading to CTV's Toronto studios, Channel Nine Court, had been temporarily renamed "Dave Devall Way" in his honour.<ref name ="Dave Devall Way Scarbourgh Council> {{Citation | author = City Clerk | title = SC24.22 – Ward 41: Installation of Special Street Name Sign - "Dave Devall Way" | work = Scarborough Community Council | publisher = City of Toronto | date = 26 March 2009 | page = 23 | url = http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/sc/agendas/2009-03-26-sc24-ar.pdf | access-date = 11 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607111650/https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/sc/agendas/2009-03-26-sc24-ar.pdf | archive-date = 7 June 2011 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name = "Artist Pays Tribute to Icon"> {{Cite news | author = Scarborough Mirror Staff | title = Scarborough artist pays tribute to broadcast icon | work = Toronto.com | publisher = Metroland Media Group | date = 3 April 2009 | url = https://www.toronto.com/news/scarborough-artist-pays-tribute-to-broadcast-icon/article_e8861a06-6bd7-563e-918e-f8e73fe523ff.html | access-date = 11 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241112023434/https://www.toronto.com/news/scarborough-artist-pays-tribute-to-broadcast-icon/article_e8861a06-6bd7-563e-918e-f8e73fe523ff.html | archive-date = 12 November 2024 | url-status = live }}</ref>
Following retirement, Devall has made appearances in television commercials for local businesses, including an area Toyota dealership in 2010 and Loblaws in 2011. In July 2012, Devall appeared in a string of commercials for Shoppers Drug Mart.<ref name ="About Dave"> {{Cite web | title = About Dave | work = Dave Devall | url = http://www.davedevall.com/about-dave/ | access-date = 12 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130609012052/http://www.davedevall.com/about-dave/ | archive-date = 9 June 2013 | url-status = dead | year = 2013 }}</ref>
He was also one of several retired longtime CFTO employees (including the more recent departures of Tom Gibney (2007) and Jim Junkin (2010)) who returned for a retrospective on the station's fiftieth anniversary on December 31, 2010.<ref name="About Dave" /> He appeared briefly at the end of longtime CTV anchor Christine Bentley's final broadcast on September 14, 2012.<ref name="About Dave" />
One of Devall's major appearances after retiring was as the master of ceremonies for the 2013 Portraits of Honour Juno Beach Dinner Gala, in Cambridge, Ontario.<ref name ="Cambridge Master of Ceremonies"> {{Cite news | author = CT Staff | title = Lengendary weatherman hosts Portraits of Honour fundraiser | work = Cambridge Times | publisher = Metroland Media Group | location = Cambridge, Ontario | date = 6 February 2013 | url = https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/life/lengendary-weatherman-hosts-portraits-of-honour-fundraiser/article_cf5d86fe-2345-5bca-a10c-32427f7e6846.html | access-date = 12 November 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241112222820/https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/life/lengendary-weatherman-hosts-portraits-of-honour-fundraiser/article_cf5d86fe-2345-5bca-a10c-32427f7e6846.html | archive-date = 12 November 2024 | url-status = live }}</ref> In 2020, Devall was interviewed about his work on ''Definition'' for the GameTV documentary series ''The Search for Canada's Game Shows''.<ref name = "Search 4 Canada’s Game Shows"/>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devall, Dave}} Category:Canadian television weather presenters Category:Living people Category:People from York, Toronto Category:Game show announcers Category:1931 births Category:CTV Television Network people