Submitted to The Record
Have you noticed “We Vote CBC” signs popping up throughout the Valley? Have you wondered why? It’s because aggressive budget cuts by government are slowly moving our national broadcaster to extinction. And people are concerned.
“The importance of the CBC in providing a window through which we see ourselves cannot be overstated. We live in a vast, sparsely populated land and the CBC is the thread that links us together from coast, to coast to coast.” said a We Vote CBC concert organizer.
Over the years the CBC has been, among other things, instrumental in furthering the careers of many talented musicians. Local performers see the CBC, with its commitment to Canadian arts and culture, as an integral player in the survival of the Canadian identity and as an important factor in keeping Canadians tied together through the media.
A host of local musicians come together on Oct. 4 to perform in support of the CBC: Juno Award winner Helen Austin, Doug Cox, local jazz icons Jenn Forsland, Dale Graham, Rick Husband and John Hyde, Valley musical historian Gord Carter, cellist Helena Jung, folk/roots duo Bruce and Judy Wing, multi-faceted guitarist Alan Jossul, and for a hint of white sandy beaches and gently swaying palm trees, Anela Kahiamoe.
Among the performers is Cox, the artistic director of Vancouver Island MusicFest. Cox has connections and commitment to the CBC that lie deep and wide.
In the mid-90s he spearheaded the “Save the CBC” event that took place in Vancouver, featuring appearances by such notables as Randy Bachman and Colin James, David Suzuki and Mavor Moore. The concert had a profound impact at the time, stopping the withdrawal of funding from the CBC by the current government. They heard us that time!
Cox was the musical director for the opening ceremonies at the CBC Victoria building. His acoustic version of Jurgen Gothe’s Disc Drive radio show theme song was the first recording produced at CBC Studio One in Vancouver.
In his capacity as producer of Vancouver Island MusicFest, Cox has arranged for countless concerts to be recorded with the CBC Vancouver Mobile recording truck, which of course has since been sold.
The fate of the CBC is an issue that will impact all Canadians, whether they realize it or not. Federal candidates for both local ridings have been invited to come and accept the petitions that have been gathered in support of the CBC.
This awareness-raising concert takes place on Sunday, Oct. 4 at the K’omox First Nations Band Hall, 3330 Comox Road from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
The lineup of performers is superb, and the musical styles cover all the bases.
Admission is free.
Join other concerned Canadians on Oct. 4 for a celebration of the CBC. Sign the petition and take home a lawn sign.