New CIDI program ‘The Luminairies’ focuses on local guests
Local radio station CIDI (99.1) will be premiering a new radio show starting Dec. 6 called ‘The Luminaries’. Host and creator David James revealed what can be expected from this new program.
The Luminaries is a five-part series of one-hour interviews with interesting and inspiring members of the community.
Though many of the guests may be known by their names or their impact in various fields and in the community, this program provides the opportunity to get to know these people in an up close and personal way.
The guests, in order of broadcast are Dr. John Fowles, an Order of Canada recipient who is a retired orthopaedic surgeon with a penchant for art and bird watching; Peter Turner, a country lawyer, contributor to the Tour Des Arts, author and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal holder; Reverend Tim Smart, an amateur astronomer who is the parish priest at Grace Anglican Church as well as the chaplain at Cowansville Medium Security Penitentiary; Danielle Dansereau, president of the Mont Pinnacle Land Trust, ocean sailor and script writer;
And finally, Stanley Lake, co-founder of Tour des Arts and Sutton Jazz Festival as well as a musician and ceramist.
“The Luminaires,” explained James, “is a way to get to know those inspiring individuals, the inspiring neighbours that we know from afar. This gives us the opportunity to get personal with them.”
“Some of these people have never before shared their personal lives and music before, it will be a treat to hear.”
James gave a sneak peak into some of what will be covered in these exclusive interviews.
“There is a guest whose father changed the family name because of anti-semitism, who was run down by a car and relates firsthand experience of being in an induced coma, who flirted with criminality but never succumbed and went on to teach at Massey-vanier high school, who met a childhood friend decades later in prison at Christmas, and a guest who deals daily with clinical depression and knows first hand the need to support people with mental health issues.”
The segments of this series will be a mix of interviews and a curated selection of music from the guests themselves.
“Hearing their life stories and then their favourite music is really a window into their personalities,” added James.
He described the interviews as candid.
“The mood was essentially personal, it’s like sitting down and having a conversation.”
It seems fitting that if the guests will become so well-known to the listeners the host should be as well.
David James made his first documentary 50 years ago while he was a student at Trent University. The documentary was for the Trent University Radio Service broadcast on CHEX radio in Peterborough, Ontario. It was the first documentary about Canadian folk singer Bruce Cockburn. In 1972 his first documentary on CBC radio was broadcast. This was during his time as a journalism student at the University of Western Ontario, where he graduated first in the class.
James also worked as a news and public affairs correspondent for CBC Radio in Paris. He eventually moved on to other things and it has been 39 years since he prepared a radio program. “The Luminairies” is his comeback to radio journalism.
“I’ve had this urge for a while to mix interviews with music,” he explained, “and journalism is deep in my bones.”
When Gillian Maccormack, a CIDI board director, approached him about doing a program, he was more than happy to get back in the radio journalism saddle.
When asked why he decided to go with the format of interviewing local people he replied, “It comes from the idea of what the mandate is for community radio, the program pushes that mandate to really inform and reflect the community, by talking with
James also worked as a news and public affairs correspondent for CBC Radio in Paris. He eventually moved on to other things and it has been 39 years since he prepared a radio program. “The Luminairies” is his comeback to radio journalism. “I’ve had this urge for a while to mix interviews with music,” he explained, “and journalism is deep in my bones.”
inspiring and unique folks in the area.”
It is evident that the interviewees are equally passionate about the series.
“It took some time on their part too,” James added, “I thank them for contributing.”
One guest commented, “This was a singular and interesting experience for me. Revisiting the past and discovering new links, new threads. Facing the old universal questions ‘Who are you, where are you from, where are you
going?’”
‘The Luminaries’ will be broadcast on CIDI 99.1FM and worldwide on various websites including the radio’s site cidi991.home.blog.
The program launches on Sunday, Dec. 6 from noon to 1 p.m. and then the following four Sundays. There will be repeat shows on Thursdays starting Dec.10 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Make sure to tune in to ‘The Luminaries’ to learn a little more about the intriguing lives of some very fascinating members of the community.