Veteran radio presence headed back to ranch
100th anniversary of family homestead will lure Bruce Bowie back to Piapot, pop. 50
Rocking out cowboy boots and blue jeans is 630 CHED’s Bruce Bowie, who this spring heads to Piapot, Sask., for the 100th anniversary celebrations at his family’s ranch.
“My brother Ian asked me to be there for the annual branding in May,” said Bowie, a radio broadcaster for 47 years.
“A touch of the old west still happens. All the neighbours bring their best horses and help each other at roundups. Some 300 calves are usually branded and vaccinated at our ranch.”
It has been many decades since Bowie attended a roundup on the 36-section ranch and he says whether he can still ride and help is questionable.
“I think I still may be able to wrestle a calf to the ground,” said Bowie. “But I’m sure my biggest job might be keeping out of the way.
“Old friends and acquaintances will have fun with how soft I have become and mock my city boy non-calloused hands.”
At the turn of the century, Bowie’s grandparents left Kettleby, Ont., and headed west to take advantage of government homesteading opportunities.
“They had planned to settle in Pincher Creek,” said Bowie. “But travelling through southern Saskatchewan, they saw the creek and rolling hills around Piapot and decided it would be a great place to settle and raise cattle.”
Piapot is a hamlet halfway between Medicine Hat and Swift Current with a population today of 50.
Growing up, Bowie listened to many U.S. AM radio stations, was intrigued and, on leaving school, found a radio job in Lloydminster.
In 1974, he transferred to Edmonton’s 630 CHED from a station CHED owned in Moose Jaw.
He later worked for CISN FM for 21 years and nine years ago was invited to move back to CHED to replace retiring early morning man Gord Whitehead.
“Ironically, it was because of my radio work I have been invited to take part in such events as mechanical bull-riding competitions, cattle-penning, riding a steer and cornering, saddling and riding a cow.”
He at one time had a bucket-list fascination for riding a bull.
“But Edmonton Eskimo’s Gizmo Williams gave it a try and was tossed when he made only four of the hoped-for eight seconds,” said Bowie. “Given his athletic ability, I remained a bull-riding spectator.”
THINK SUMMER
As former admiral of the Sourdough Raft Race, it behooves me to announce the race will take place this year on Sunday, July 21.
“This is the 60th or diamond anniversary of the 17-kilometre race, which starts in Terwillegar Park and finishes at Rafter’s Landing,” said race secretary Judy Russ.
“We have a number of rafts for use by entrants who don’t have a raft and we have people willing to help others build their own raft. Let’s make this anniversary the biggest event of 2019.”
Travelling down the river by canoe, on a two-person raft, or a larger craft has always been a great way for companies to advertise, adds Russ.
A six-drum raft will support six to eight people and clean plastic drums can be bought locally for between $15 and $25 each.
Former race admirals include Don Sprague, Bev Armstrong, Ed Bean, broadcaster Rod Phillips, former Edmonton Eskimo Tom Richards and the late Ross McBain and Ron Assaly.
Get more information at sourdough@telusplanet.net.
WHAT A BOAR
The Chinese Year of the Pig began last Tuesday and Wei Yew, Edmonton’s internationally acclaimed, award winning designer, continued his annual tradition of creating a different card for each year of the Chinese Zodiac signs.
“This is a boaring business card,” said Yew, never one to miss a pun.
“We are now in our fourth cycle of the 12 animals. My card shows I am still bringing the bacon home after 36 years.”
People born in The Year of the Pig include Humphrey Bogart, Henry Ford, Ernest Hemingway, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Elvis Presley and Ronald Reagan.
TOE HOLDS
Following a Royal Glenora Club gym workout on returning from Kona, Hawaii, last week, I was dressing when Bill Butler, developer of the High Street shopping centre, asked: “Are you sure you are in the right dressing room?”
He nodded to my midnight-blue painted toenails.
I’d treated myself to a pedicure at Mary’s Spa in Kona where Vietnam-born Duong To Tina told me my toes looked beaten up.
“I can give you a pedicure with a VIP whirlpool foot massage, remove calluses and paint your toe nails for just $41,” she said.
“Many men now want painted toe nails. Red and black are favourite colours.”
I agreed, remembering a couple of Ironman Triathlon veterans I’d socialized with that week had smartly painted toenails.
“Very cool,” Butler said sarcastically at the Royal Glenora. “I’m going to have mine painted all the colours of the rainbow.”
Passe, I told him. That had been popular. But times have moved on.
Old friends and acquaintances will have fun with how soft I have become and mock my city boy non-calloused hands.