# Fil Fraser > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fil_Fraser > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fil_Fraser.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil_Fraser > Source revision: 1306427581 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Canadian broadcaster and writer (1932–2017)}} '''Felix Blache-Fraser''' {{post-nominals|CM|AOE}} (August 19, 1932 – December 3, 2017) was a Canadian broadcaster, non-fiction author, film producer, film festival founder, public servant, and educator in [Alberta](/source/Alberta). ==Broadcasting and journalism== Born in Montreal in 1932, Fraser began his career in broadcasting in 1951, when hired at the age of nineteen by [Foster Hewitt](/source/Foster_Hewitt) for his radio station [CKFH](/source/CKFH) in Toronto. In 1952, he worked as a radio announcer in [Timmins, Ontario](/source/Timmins%2C_Ontario), for six months before being hired as assistant news editor at [CKBB](/source/CKBB) radio in [Barrie](/source/Barrie), where he became the station's sports director and play-by-play announcer, calling games for the [Barrie Flyers](/source/Barrie_Flyers).{{Cite web|title=Fil Fraser {{!}} The Alberta Order of Excellence|url=https://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/aoe/arts/fil-fraser/index.html|website=www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca|access-date=2020-05-25}} In 1955, Fraser moved back to Montreal, where he attended [McGill University](/source/McGill_University) and hosted an all-night show at [CKVL](/source/CINF) in Verdun. In 1956, he worked as a news editor at [CFCF](/source/CFCF-AM) radio, eventually becoming chief writer.{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/personalities.php%3Fid%3D488|title=Pioneer: Fraser, Fil (1932- )|last=Wedge|first=Pip|work=The History of Canadian Broadcasting|publisher=Canadian Communications Foundation|accessdate=February 23, 2014}} Fraser moved to western Canada in 1958, and initially worked in public relations for [Saskatchewan Government Insurance](/source/Saskatchewan_Government_Insurance). However, he also remained involved in radio broadcasting, hosting between-period [hot stove league](/source/hot_stove_league) discussions on [junior hockey](/source/junior_hockey) broadcasts and sometimes doing [play-by-play](/source/Play_by_play) announcing. In 1960, he founded a newspaper called the ''Regina Weekly Mirror''. He moved to [Edmonton](/source/Edmonton) in 1965, where he became program manager and senior producer of the Metropolitan Edmonton Educational Television Association (MEETA), Canada's first educational television channel, which aired on [CBXFT](/source/CBXFT). Fraser subsequently became producer/host of ''Newsmakers'', a weekly public affairs program on [ITV Global Edmonton](/source/CITV-DT), and then served as president and CEO of [VisionTV](/source/VisionTV), Toronto.{{cite journal|last=Wyman|first=Marlena|date=Summer 2003|title=The Provincial Archives of Alberta, Fil Fraser and the AV Preservation Trust Fund|journal=Archives Society of Alberta Newsletter|publisher=Archives Society of Alberta|location=Calgary|volume=22|issue=4|url=http://www.archivesalberta.org/vol22_4/paa.htm|accessdate=February 22, 2014}} In 1974, Fil moved over to the ‘opposition', to host a one-year run of his own eponymous talk show on Dr. Charles Allard's newly-launched CITV private television station, and also began what would become a five-year stint as host of a talk show on CJCA-AM radio Edmonton. In 1980 he took his talk-show host talents across town to CKXM-FM Edmonton, which had just changed its call-sign from CFRN, to avoid confusion with the AM station that used the same call letters. This series ran for three years; in 1983 he became host of Alberta Morning, the daily program that ran on CKUA-AM, then operated by Access Alberta. Later, in 1987, he became Director of Development for Access Alberta, in Edmonton.{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/fraser-fil|title = Fraser, Fil | History of Canadian Broadcasting}} Fraser served on the Alberta Task Force on Film and the Federal Task Force on Broadcasting Policy (Caplan/Savageau) and was the Governor of the [Canadian Journalism Foundation](/source/Canadian_Journalism_Foundation) as well as a member of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists. ==Death== Fil Fraser died in Edmonton on December 3, 2017 of heart failure, aged 85. He was survived by his wife, Gladys Odegard; his four children, three siblings and extended family. He was predeceased by his parents, Felix and Marguerite Blache-Fraser, and three siblings.{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?n=fil-fraser&pid=187479590|title=Fil Fraser's Obituary on Edmonton Journal|newspaper=[Edmonton Journal](/source/Edmonton_Journal)|accessdate=16 December 2017}} ==Film== In the 1970s, Fraser formed a production company to produce educational television films. He then went on to produce four feature films, from 1977–82, including ''[Why Shoot the Teacher?](/source/Why_Shoot_the_Teacher%3F)'' (executive producer), ''[Marie-Anne](/source/Marie-Anne_(film))'', ''[The Hounds of Notre Dame](/source/The_Hounds_of_Notre_Dame)'' (producer), and ''[Latitude 55°](/source/Latitude_55%C2%B0)'' (executive producer). He was a founding member of the [Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television](/source/Academy_of_Canadian_Cinema_%26_Television).{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} He organized the first Alberta Film Festival in 1974, which later became the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association, and founded the [Banff International Television Festival](/source/Banff_International_Television_Festival) in 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.metrocinema.org/fest_view/54/|title=Why Shoot the Picture? The Films of Fil Fraser|work=[Metro Cinema Edmonton](/source/Metro_Cinema_Edmonton)|accessdate=February 22, 2014|archive-date=February 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226173124/http://www.metrocinema.org/fest_view/54/|url-status=dead}} ==Writing== Fraser's published non-fiction works include ''Alberta's Camelot: Culture and the Arts in the Lougheed Years'' (2003), which looked at how programs by the government of former premier [Peter Lougheed](/source/Peter_Lougheed) helped the provincial arts sector to flourish from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/alberta-arts-on-the-cusp/article733276|title=Alberta arts on the cusp|last=Gill|first=Alexandra|date=17 March 2009|work=[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)|accessdate=23 February 2014}} His 2006 book, ''Running Uphill: The Fast, Short Life of Canadian Champion Harry Jerome'', looked at the pioneering Black Canadian track star [Harry Jerome](/source/Harry_Jerome).{{cite journal|last=Lem|first=Val Ken|date=22 June 2007|title=Running Uphill: The Fast, Short Life of Canadian Champion Harry Jerome|journal=Canadian Materials|publisher=The Manitoba Library Association|volume=XIII|issue=22|url=https://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol13/no22/runninguphill.html|access-date=23 February 2014|archive-date=1 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301161418/https://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol13/no22/runninguphill.html|url-status=dead}} In 2009, he completed the book ''How the Blacks Created Canada'', part of a series of books from publisher Dragon Hill about how different cultural groups have contributed to the development of Canada.{{cite journal|last=Peters|first=Joanne|date=1 October 2010|title=How the Blacks Created Canada.|journal=Canadian Materials|publisher=The Manitoba Library Association|volume=XVII|issue=5|url=http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol17/no5/howtheblackscreatedcanada.html|archive-date=1 March 2014|access-date=23 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301195935/http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol17/no5/howtheblackscreatedcanada.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.therecord.com/living-story/2628278-books-how-the-blacks-created-canada/|title=Books: How the Blacks Created Canada|last=Fear|first=Jon|date=29 October 2010|work=[Waterloo Region Record](/source/Waterloo_Region_Record)|publisher=Metroland|accessdate=24 February 2014}} ==Public service and academia== Fraser served as Chief Commissioner for the Alberta Human Rights Commission from 1989 to 1992 and served on the [Spicer Commission](/source/Spicer_Commission).{{cite book|last=MacGregor|first=Roy|authorlink=Roy MacGregor|title=Canadians|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w1rTS8itVe4C&q=fil+fraser&pg=PT109|date=2 May 2008|publisher=Penguin Canada|isbn=9780143181620}} A writer and educator in the field of alcoholism and addictions, he served as head of alcoholism prevention programs for both Alberta and Saskatchewan.{{cite book|last=Takach|first=Geo|title=Will the Real Alberta Please Stand Up?|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IJSnAgAAQBAJ&q=fil+fraser&pg=PA109|date=2 December 2010|publisher=University of Alberta|isbn=978-0888645432|page=109|chapter=Rednecks or Radicals?}} He was an adjunct professor in State and Legal Studies at [Athabasca University](/source/Athabasca_University). ==Honours== Fraser was a member of the [Order of Canada](/source/Order_of_Canada) and received the Alberta Achievement Award. In 2015, he was made a member of the [Alberta Order of Excellence](/source/Alberta_Order_of_Excellence).{{cite web|url=http://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/aoe/arts/fil-fraser/index.html|title=Fil Fraser - The Alberta Order of Excellence|website=Lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca|accessdate=16 December 2017}} ==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Fraser|first=Fil|title=Alberta's Camelot: Culture and the Arts in the Lougheed Years|year=2003|publisher=[Lone Pine Publishing](/source/Lone_Pine_Publishing)|isbn=1-55105-393-4}} *{{cite book|last=Fraser|first=Fil|title=Running Uphill: The Fast, Short Life of Canadian Champion Harry Jerome|year=2006|publisher=Lone Pine Publishing/Dragon Hill Publishing|isbn=978-1-896124-13-1}} *{{cite book|last=Fraser|first=Fil|title=How the Blacks Created Canada|year=2010|publisher=Lone Pine Publishing/Dragon Hill Publishing|isbn=978-1-896124-43-8}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.filfraser.ca/}} *{{YouTube|Bt12rkV8A7g|Fil Fraser - Alberta Culture Vignette}} *{{IMDb name|0292124}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Fil}} Category:1932 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Black Canadian broadcasters Category:Black Canadian filmmakers Category:Film producers from Quebec Category:Film festival founders Category:Canadian television executives Category:Writers from Montreal Category:20th-century Canadian civil servants Category:Academic staff of Athabasca University Category:Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Black Canadian non-fiction writers Category:20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers Category:McGill University alumni Category:Anglophone Quebec people Category:Black Canadian journalists --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fil Fraser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil_Fraser) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil_Fraser?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.