The local supper hour CBC news broadcast on Prince Edward Island has remained legendary especially when occasionally threatened with replacement by a national news show. Attributed as having maintained the highest penetration in a local market of any local news show in Canada it has retained its audience despite the arrival of many other news options. Interest in local news is a key part of Island life thus Compass is a daily staple in most households, yet many were unaware of the origin of the name until recently. The story goes back to the period when CBC was establishing a corporate presence on PEI. While affiliate CBC stations had existed locally with both CFCY radio and then CFCY-TV (which opened July 1, 1956) the need to establish a full corporate presence in every province caused CBC to purchase CFCY-TV from the local owners, who were descendants or family of CFCY radio's founder Col. Keith Rogers.
The 1969 purchase led to the building of a new facility on University Ave. Veteran CBC manager Gordon Smith was brought in for the transition and to manage the operation; he learned quickly that Charlottetown Rotary Club was a valuable organization to support and also provided an opportunity to meet other community and business leaders. It was at a Rotary lunch table that he admitted the challenge of obtaining a highly visible location for the new building to a fellow Rotarian who happened to be in a management role with the Charlottetown Research Station run by Agriculture Canada, affectionately known then and now as "The Farm" in the heart of the community. From that conversation came an agreement for CBC to acquire a rather low-lying part of the property that was difficult to crop due to drainage issues but was highly visible next to major federal operations like Agriculture Canada and the RCMP on a major artery of the city. A prime location in the growing commercial part of the city, it would become a visible anchor for the operation.
The new CBC building at 430 University Ave. became home to operations of the renamed TV station CBCT, and then in 1977, CBCT-FM arrived bringing a full CBC radio station to PEI. An expansion to the building and a major renovation currently underway in 2020 continues to adapt the building to the many platforms maintained by the public broadcaster.
On Island Morning broadcast during August 2013 Ken Bolton then aged 70 indicated that "In 1969, Whit Carter and I hosted a new show on CBC here in Charlottetown called Compass, I think I actually came up with the name."
While the show was a team effort, a later broadcast clarifies the origin of the Compass name and how it came about.
Broadcast on CBC Compass, on April 9
th 2020 was a brief item read by Compass host Louise Martin that honoured R. Gordon Smith at the time of his passing and told of the naming of Compass – the CBC nightly news show for PEI.
"Gordon Smith was the manager hired to start up CBC
operations on PEI during the late 1960s and 70s and supervised the
construction of the CBC building on University Ave. We asked him about the name of the show and he said, that he
was playing with a knife on his desk one day spinning around and thought of the
name compass.
Our deepest condolences to his family and friends and we
thank him for everything he has done. His legacy will not be forgotten and
lives on every night here on Compass."
The
obituary of Gordon Smith, (below) was published in The Guardian gives additional background on his lengthy career as a broadcaster and manager.
R. Gordon Smith
Published in The Guardian: April 09, 2020
SMITH, R. Gordon (Major (Ret’d), CD2) R. Gordon Smith, of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully on April 6th, 2020, at the South Shore Regional Hospital with his children by his side. Born in Saint John, N.B. on October 26, 1923, Gordon was the son of the late Frank P. and Sarah C. (Lacey) Smith. He was a veteran of the Second World War, serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1941 to 1945. He continued to serve Canada in the militia from 1954 with 3rd Field Artillery, 2nd Battalion N.S. Highlanders, P.E.I. Regiment, and finally as Militia Area Atlantic Public Affairs Officer, retiring in 1983. Gordon had a remarkable career in broadcasting, which began in 1946 as a weekend fill-in at CFNB in Fredericton while attending the University of New Brunswick. And with that, he had found his calling. Gordon went on to work as an on-air personality, sportscaster, and manager at CFBC Radio in Saint John, N.B. from 1948 until 1962. Continuing his broadcasting journey, he and his family moved to Sydney, N.S. where he ventured into television as program director and on-air host at CJCB-TV. Gordon remained with CJCB-TV until mid 1967, at which time he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Sydney. In 1968 he and his family transferred to Charlottetown, P.E.I. where he oversaw the merger of an affiliate (CFCY-TV) into CBCT, which included being location manager, on-air responsibilities, as well as coordinating the 1972 construction of the CBCT building. Late in 1974 he became a part of regional management team for CBC, based in Halifax, until his retirement in 1986. Gordon was a true Maritimer, having lived in cities and towns in all three provinces: Saint John, Sydney, Charlottetown, Halifax, Mahone Bay, Mader’s Cove, and Bridgewater. Following his retirement, he volunteered his time and expertise, serving on numerous boards and committees in both Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. Gordon’s legacy will be one of a courageous, intelligent man with an exceptional life story, unparalleled integrity, countless friends, and a family that loved him unconditionally. He is remembered and deeply missed by many. Gordon was predeceased by his loving wife of 57 years, Lois (Lodge), as well his siblings: Donald, Ruth Peacock, George, Freda Taylor, Shirley, and Bob. He is survived by his three children: Tony (Lynn Lantz), Sara (Stephen) Harding, and Becky (Bruce) Campbell; grandchildren: Jennifer (Rob Bustos), Christine (Morgan Smith), Geoffrey, Alex (Samantha) Harding, Ryan (Katrina Lapierre) Harding, and Sherri Campbell; great-grandchildren: Ronan Bustos, Jacob and Olivia Harding, and Hugh Smith; sister-in-law Joyce (Moore) Smith; nieces and nephews: Cecilia Bowden, David (Marie) Peacock, Janet (Bob) McKinney, Keith (Sydney) Peacock, Stephen (Brenda) Smith, and Roger (Joanne McFall-Smith); numerous grand-nieces and nephews across Canada; and his dear friend and companion, Wilma Chandler, and her entire family in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral or visitation. A graveside service and celebration of life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the VON of Lunenburg County—in appreciation of their caring support of Gordon over the years—or an alternate charity of choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Mahone Funeral Home, and condolences may be sent to www.mahonefuneral.ca “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
