November 9, 2000
Ranting and raving of Rafe - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- If I were asked to write a blurb for Rafe Mair’s newest book, I’d write: “Rafe Mair is gruff, blunt, opinionated and a delight to listen to. He’s a credit to our province and he makes us proud to be British Columbian; because he gets to say the things we’d like to say, but don’t because we’d never muster the balls to do so.”
Rafe Mair has a new book coming out, “Rants, Raves and Recollections.” It’ll be a tome worth buying, because he’s got an opinion people seek; opinions that wade through the drivel of semantics (or as he’d put it so bluntly, bullshit,) and that tell it like it is.
The title says it all. However I strongly doubt, they are hollow and careless arguments, as Mair has been through a lot and has the scars to prove that he is usually right. The listeners or callers would be loath to admit that to him, as that’d deprive the airwaves of great radio.
Mair has held court on the airwaves of this town, for that matter this province, for almost 20 years now. He was trained to be a lawyer, which led to the world of politics. First on the civic level in Kamloops to a cabinet post in Bill Bennett’s Socred government. He’d probably have ended up Premier, but he grew tired and subsequently found himself on Jimmy Pattison’s CJOR. Soon enough, he turned up on the airwaves of CKNW, where he dominates as our province’s premiere open liner.
Preston Manning, the creator of a party they called Reform, once said of Mair, “Rafe Mair is B.C.” He certainly is. He’s been fighting for our province long before I was even born. He was at the initial constitutional conferences Trudeau had set up, on that long road to the patriation of the Constitution in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
In his capacity as a broadcaster, he took on the establishment during the debate on the Charlottetown Accord. He fought hard for its rejection, which BCers did with an amazing 68% ‘No’ vote. He earned the moniker “Dr. No” from the national media and the distinction of being a “traitor” from former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
His work in government saving the Skagit River is of particular pride to Mair, as he defended our province’s interests against the Americans in the name of the environment. As a broadcaster he fought hard against Alcan Aluminium’s Kemano Completion Project. It saved the Nechako River and earned him the prestigious Michener Award, our nation’s most eminent award for journalism.
Mair’s private life often spills onto the airwaves. His battles with clinical depression and diabetes, are used as springboards of informing and arming the general public with invaluable information of these two pressing health issues. Once-a-year, Mair takes a day out of his broadcasting schedule to hold a depression screening day to assist and assess listeners with their mental health. Recently, he created a ruckus over the misleading information passed on by hospitals and other medical professionals claiming that aspartame, an artificial sweetener, (Commonly regarded in brand names like Sweet ‘N Low or Nutrasweet,) as a safe product for diabetics and the general population. Through meticulous research, as only Rafe can do, he warned his audience of the dangerous effects. Sadly, not as many could have heard, as a column he wrote for The Province was not printed for fear of libel.
I have longed admired Rafe Mair. Not only is he willing to stand up to the establishment or common belief, as he did on Charlottetown, and does over aspartame; he does it in a way that truly affects change.
It was a real treat last February to finally meet Rafe in person, after many run-ins on e-mail. I was practically beside myself, as there I was, mere little me, with Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer and Rafe Mair - and we were talking politics! That gruff questioner of the air is a really nice guy. I guess it’s the fact he’s well respected that gives his arguments more weight. Mind you, his opinions, would be mishandled at best, by less experienced.
“Rants, Raves and Recollections,” which was released last week, is a follow-up to his best-selling memoirs, “Canada, Is Anyone Listening?” which was released two years ago. He has, in it, fascinating stories of his run-ins with the best, brightest and boneheads of Canadian political life. He’s got accurate rants on the sham that is our current system of governance, which sees apathy and discontent abounding our collective political culture.
His daily radio show is the highest rated talk show in the province. It airs weekday mornings from 8:35 to 11:00, on CKNW/98. Prime Minister Chrétien and George Puil, among others are scared to appear on his show. Dare they appear before the wrath of the Rafe one!
Rafe Mair is a consummate professional. He’s a nice guy and a brilliant radio host. He keeps the politicians feet to the fire and does it in a way that is tasteful and proper in the rough and tough world of British Columbian politics.
The Vancouver Sun’s Barbara Yaffe once said, “When Mair talks, there had better be someone listening.” Very true. And how lucky we British Columbians are to have someone fighting our cause for us. Bettering a society that he’ll probably never see, but will be all the more beneficial to future generations.
“Rants, Raves and Recollections,” by Rafe Mair is $19.95 and is published by Whitecap Books.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .