Roy Bonisteel

Roy Earnest Bonisteel, (29 May 1930 – 16 August 2013) was a Canadian journalist and, from 1967 to 1989, host of the CBC Television program Man Alive. In 1951, he began his broadcasting career in radio in the city of Belleville, Ontario, working at CJBQ. From this start he moved to CKTB radio in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1953. After 12 years at CKTB he left in 1964 to try for a job at a different station. He failed to obtain this job, so Bonisteel moved into religious broadcasting. (Canadian broadcasting regulation at the time required radio stations to broadcast religious shows.)

He entered into an agreement with the United Church of Canada to produce a 15-minute program titled Checkpoint. His efforts led this show to be syndicated across Canada. This then led to a position as director of broadcast for the United Church in Vancouver in 1965. He received an appointment as head of ecumenical radio operations for the Anglican, Roman Catholic and United churches, in Vancouver, the first person to have such an assignment.

After retiring from the CBC, Bonisteel hosted panel discussions on death and bereavement as part of the TVOntario anthology series Saying Goodbye, and later served as a citizenship judge for seven years. He is survived by daughters Lesley and Mandy Bonisteel and son Steve Bonisteel and by nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Awards and honours A winner of two awards of excellence in broadcast journalism, Bonisteel also received six honorary doctorates, including an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Laurentian University in Sudbury, and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Queen's University in Kingston. In 1994, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. Bonisteel was also a recipient of the Canada 125 Medal in 1992, the Distinguished Canadian Award from the University of Regina in 1994, two ACTRA Awards and the Gordon Sinclair Award for excellence in broadcast journalism and award for "best television host in Canada."

Published works

Books Man Alive the Human Journey, 1983, Collins Publishers In Search of Man Alive, 1980, Collins Publishers All Things Considered, 1997, Doubleday Canada, There was a time, 1991, Doubleday Canada,

Video Circle of Witches All their Own May's Miracle