One of the giants of Canadian broadcasting and journalism marks his 88th birthday today and I know all the readers of Art’s History will join me in sending best wishes to Lloyd Robertson.A proud son of Stratford, Ontario, Robertson, who was born on this date in 1934, became interested in broadcasting and journalism at a very young age. Before graduating high school, he was already reading the news and more at his local radio station.Robertson went on to work at CBC, landing his first television job in Winnipeg in the 1950s. He later served as anchor of The National before moving to CTV. From 1984 to 2011 he was very much the public face of CTV National News, serving with distinction as senior news anchor. Along the way he earned the respect of viewers, national leaders and more. His was a remarkable career.I owe Mr. Robertson a great deal as he traveled a few years back to Kingston at my invitation to lead a political history walking tour through our downtown with me. If I told you he was a hit with his audience here, I’d be understating things.That same evening, he served as MC of the world-famous Sunset Ceremony at Fort Henry. The ceremony features the Fort Henry Guard, dressed as British soldiers at the time of Confederation, performing military drills. In light of this Mr. Robertson changed his famous sign off slightly in a move that brought the crowd at the fort to their feet. “And that’s the kind of day it’s been,” he said, before pausing and concluding with a zinger, “in 1867.”Happy birthday Lloyd Robertson![caption id="attachment_604236" align="alignleft" width="442"]
Lloyd Robertson[/caption]Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.
Lloyd Robertson[/caption]Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.