Gzowski, Peter

Peter Gzowski was born July 13, 1934 in Toronto but grew up in Galt, Ontario. His great-grandfather was engineer Sir Casimir Gzowski. He was educated at Ridley College in St. Catharines and the University of Toronto. During his time at the University of Toronto he edited the University's newspaper "The Varsity". He has worked for town newspapers in Timmins, Moose Jaw and Chatham. He became managing editor of Maclean's Magazine in 1962. In 1971 he worked for CBC's "This Country in the Morning" for three years. After this he hosted a radio show called "Gzowski on FM". Peter entered national late night television by hosting a show called "90 Minutes Live" from 1976 to 1978. In 1982 he started hosting CBC's "Morningside" radio show. He has written three books: "Spring Tonic" in 1979, "The Sacrament" in 1980 and "The Game of Our Lives" in 1981. He is the father of five children. (Taken from: "The Canadian Encyclopedia" Vol. 2. 1988 and "CBC Biographies".) In 1974, 1983 and 1985 Peter won ACTRA awards for best host-interviewer on radio. He has also won three National Magazine Awards one of which was in 1981 for his profile on Wayne Gretzky. In 1986 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Companion in 1999. Trent honoured him with an honorary doctor of laws degree October 31, 1988. He had an honorary doctor of letters from the University of New Brunswick. (Taken from: "Trent Fortnightly." Vol. 18, No. 3, 1987.) Gzowski served as Trent's eighth Chancellor from 1999 until his death in 2002 from chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.