JIM ROBSON
To the majority of British Columbians over the age of 50, the name Jim Robson is synonymous with hockey, more specifically, hockey broadcasts. He was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 1935 and graduated from Maple Ridge High School in 1952, whereupon he immediately embarked on his career in sport’s broadcasting which lasted until his retirement in 1999, 47 years later.
During this remarkable career, Jim worked for 7 different radio and television stations from Port Alberni to Vancouver. He covered all aspects of sport’s broadcasting but is best known for his 24 years of broadcasting Vancouver Canucks games on the CKNW radio station, including their very first game as an NHL team on October 9, 1970, when he did the play-by-play for the Hockey Night in Canada TV broadcast. Throughout his career, he called more than 2,000 NHL games and broadcast 4 Stanley Cup Finals and 5 All-Star games; he never missed a broadcast due to illness.
However, his knowledge of hockey isn’t Jim’s only attribute. For 5 years from 1960 to 1964, he broadcast the BC Lions Football games and for 12 years, the Vancouver Mounties Baseball games. He also demonstrated his versatility by broadcasting other activities such as high-school basketball, track and field and golf. It is this amazing range of abilities that has earned Jim at least 10 prestigious awards; BC Broadcaster of the Year in 1980, The Jake Milford Award in 1990, Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, The Jack Diamond Award for Vancouver Sports Personality of the Year in 1996, Induction into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 and 2 years later, into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Canadian Association Broadcasters, the Ridge-Meadows and the Vancouver Baseball Media Halls of Fame. In 2011 Jim was awarded the Order of British Columbia.